Scars
by Demeter1
Summary: Sometimes, the deepest, most painful scars are the ones you cannot see.
1. Forgotten Peace

Title:  "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Warning: Yaoi. To all the people who think yaoi deserves to go to hell, you're entitled to your opinion, but please do not infringe on mine. The same with the people who are currently wearing "Kill Relena!" T-shirts around. That is your opinion, so I respect that. However, if you wish to flame me please don't bother. It'll be met with laughs and derision. (note the word FLAME. If you want to offer me constructive criticism, please go right ahead. I like those! ^_^)

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction, in no way related to the original storyline. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter. 

Scars:

Sometimes, the deepest, most painful scars are the ones you cannot see. A broken heart can bring down the strongest soul and for Relena Darlian, Princess Peacecraft of the Sank Kingdom, the heartbreak is the last crack in a shattered dream. 

For everyone else, it is the beginning of a hellish nightmare and the fight for a past that may have never happened.

_A lost soul, trying to reclaim herself_

_For a broken heart to give itself a chance to mend._

_A time of trials and tribulation in the future of the pilots and friends._

_"Until Death Do Us Apart" may not be very long._

Part One: Forgotten Peace

A broken heart is not easily mended, and in the midst of pain, even the gentlest soul can think of vengeance. Everyone thinks Relena has gotten over her love for the "perfect soldier". But, has she really?

            ~*~*~*~*~*~

            Relena breathed in the hot air from her open window, and sighed. It was a hot day, damnably hot. Eyeing the stack of papers that wavered and shivered, threatening to fall over at any moment, she wrinkled her nose, and felt the oncoming of another headache. Holding her forehead in the palms of her hands, she tried the relaxation exercises her masseuse had taught her.  Breathing slightly in, and then exhaling a lungful of air. She then breathed in deeply, letting out only a breath; repeating the cycle, she tried to relax.

            They didn't work.

            Groaning, Relena leaned back in her leather chair, and closed her eyes.  Inhaling a lung full of tepid air, idle thoughts started floating through her mind. Images of her late father, her mother, her brother, and her past household drifted in and out of her vision. She saw herself enjoying the seaside with her adoptive parents; fleeting memories of her real parents danced in and out. 

            Then, the certain image of five Gundam pilots rammed their way in, and all chances of relaxation escaped. Relena's eyes popped open, and she gave a scowl. She stood up and walked to the window, watching the Sank Kingdom bustle busily below her. 

 _           If I wasn't the princess, perhaps I could be one of them, without the burden of having to worry about peace or war. _

            Relena stopped suddenly at that thought. She mentally gave herself a slap. 

            _Relena Darlian, you idiot! Don't be so negative! The world depends on you. If you don't work for the pacifist world, who will? Heero?!_

            Heero.

            "Damn." Relena gave a frustrated sigh. "I just HAD to think about him at this moment," she muttered below her breath.  Scowling, she gave the stack her best-patented death-glare, glanced at the city, bit her lip, and then walked briskly out of the stateroom. The security guards started at the door, and hastily bowed. There were always at least two, posted pompously by her side. She heard from Noins, that they fought over who would stand guard every morning.

            She gave a curt order for them to find Lieutenant Noins. One of them scurried to find her, and the other asked, "Where do you wish to go, Ms. Relena?" He bowed even lower, practically scraping the ground in his eagerness to please his princess. Relena looked at the backside of his head, and nearly gave an unladylike snort.

            Another flatterer.

            "I'm going out with Noins," was all the said, and continued toward the Inner Gardens. Her footsteps echoed in the large hallway, each step seemingly cracking a stone brick. At each corner, a page or another soldier would see her, and give a bow, ask her where she was going, and then hurry on to what they were doing.

            Relena was at the edge of exploding before finally making it to the peace and solitude of the gardens. She sat on her favorite stone bench, and finally gave her first breath of relief of the day. Leaning back, her face toward the bright sunshine, she felt a bit of contentment float over her. 

            _Why do I try so hard? I feel so useless sometimes. What am I? Why do I try for a peace that no one, not even my "friends" will admit too?  Noins and Milliardo try their best, but they're so protective of me it almost seems like two extra guards. Pagan has no idea how the political world works, and even if he did, he's too old now to jump into this sort of battle. Dorothy has enough to do with all the "special assignments" Milliardo gives her; I can't burden her with anymore. Of the pilots, only Quatre has the qualifications, and he's too busy romping around with Trowa! Oh, what am I saying? I shouldn't begrudge them. It's not their job after all. It's mine, and it'll always be mine._

_            Or it will be until a successful assassination._

_            I am so morbid._

            "I am such an idiot."

            "Who's an idiot?"

            "Noins!" Relena turned around in her seat, and smiled at one of the few people who accepted her as Relena, and not as Peacecraft. She was about to pour out all her troubles, when she noticed the dark circles under the older woman's eyes. Relena immediately swallowed her words. She berated herself silently for almost dumping her problems on Noins, when she already had enough to do, with the Preventers, and her still-unnoticeable pregnancy.

            "Relena?"

Relena hastily looked back into Noin's dark eyes. She quickly made up an excuse, pulling up her practiced smile. "No, nothing! I just thought of the ball, and I felt a bit annoyed I have to spend the evening with all those politicians! I would rather be with you, Brother and the baby!"

            Noins smiled, before ruffling Relena's golden hair. She did not mention she knew Relena was lying, and her dark eyes grew troubled. She knew of the immense burden placed upon Relena's shoulders, a burden which anyone, even the strongest man would have caved under. Sighing, she changed the subject.

            "The Centennial Ball is tonight. Everything is ready as planned; I got all the world's and colonies leaders to come. Tonight will be a chance for ironing out many old feuds." There was a light that shone in Relena's eyes. Noins smiled. Peace was still an enthusiastic subject for her sister-in-law, and anything regarding it would be a sure thing to bring a smile to her usually serious face. 

            However, the smile did not last long. A shadow blackened her features. Relena bit her lip, looking absently at the fountain. There was uncertainty in her eyes, as the worry-creases on her face became more pronounced. Coming to a decision, she asked in a faltering voice, "Will.... will... 'They' be there."

            Noins frowned, then nodded brusquely.

            Relena's face screwed up ever so slightly, and she licked her suddenly dry lips. "All of them?" She whispered in a soft voice. 

            Noins nodded again.

            "As... couples?"

            A look of regret shadowed Noins face, and she closed her eyes, before moving her head up and down.

            There was a moment of silence.

            Relena started laughing. 

            Noins turned in amazement. There was no cheer in her voice; in fact, bitterness seemed to have more of a share then delight. She looked at the still giggling girl, and she felt her heart shudder slightly. There was almost a psychotic quality to the high-pitched, shrill laughter. Noins felt disoriented for a moment, and resisted the urge to back away.

            Stopping, Relena wiped her eyes, finishing her laugh with a sigh of release. Brushing away imaginary lint off her silk dress, she gazed absently at the yellow roses, which had been planted the year before in honor of her father. The strong scent wafted over her senses, and slowly, very slowly, she breathed in the delicate smell of roses in. The sun shone on the garden all the more softly, and seemed to warm up her bones.

            Just not her soul.

            "Well, lets get started dressing, shall we? It's a costume ball after all."

~*~ Part One ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	2. May We Forget the Word Love

Title:  "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All the characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction. They are not related to the original plot. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.

Part Two: May we forget the word "love"

     A soul cannot last long without it's other half. The truth of her shattered love may have been the last straw. Relena Peacecraft is at the end of her line: After the night is over, she may never be the same again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Large silver platters were brought in with swift efficiency, and tables were set up at the sides quickly, each covered with a crisp linen tablecloth. There were enticing smells of roast pork, crab crepes, and marinated chicken. Plates of the most delicate and ripe fruit there was available, appeared. Bowls and bowls of savory salad were placed on the tables. Still-steaming bread, fresh from the ovens, and delicate with the smells of mint and herbs wafted over the ballroom, giving a sense of home.

Drapes of gold and silver silk covered the entire ceiling to floor windows, and there was wispy gauze draped over the couches. Ruffles of lace edged the tables, armfuls of lilac rose petals fluttered everywhere. The large French doors were gilded with gold for the occasion, while place cards, written in elegant black, graced the tables. Crystal stemware was everywhere, as champagne was offered to all the guests. 

All in all, the ballroom of the Peacecraft Family Palace was decorated fine, very fine indeed.

Which made Heero all the more uncomfortable. He tugged slightly on his belt, and sneaked a glance at his companion. His long-braided lover was at ease with the environment, dressed in an impeccable costume. He was dressed as a lord of the olden times, covered with lace and velvet. 

Heero himself, had chosen to come as - what else? - A soldier. Trowa had come as a vampire, and Quatre, surprisingly, chose to dress in a leather suit,  complete with a riding crop. Not without some wary glances from the security guards posted at the front, of course. Several protested openly at allowing him in, until he had showed them his "personal" invitation from Relena. Most had turned white, and sputtered with apologies, hastily letting them in, while begging for them to "not tell Miss Relena, please". Catherine was decked in a harem girl outfit, complete with the scarves and gauzy pants. Her usually wild, curly sparrow-brown hair, had been straightened, and fell around her shoulders. She drew some appreciative glances from the guards, but when all found out she was a "special guest" of Miss Relena's, most bowed and practically fled.

None of them knew that Noins had invited them as protection for the party, and were only here under the name of Peacecraft, not the grace.

Lady Une was decked as her general, but with her hair down, (causing secret sighs of relief).  Dorothy had declined the invitation for that night, as she was still in the colonies, helping Relena "fix" some of the problems with a certain factory. Hilde had also sent back regrets, saying she was too busy. 

Wufei dressed as wizard, grumbling all the while, that the whole ball was a childish game, and only a woman could have thought of such a silly thing. Sally, costumed as a gypsy dancer, glared at him, before shaking her head and smiling angelically at Lucrezia, who had swept over in her princess costume, giving Sally and Catherine an enthusiastic hug. She turned to the pilots with a lot more caution, however.

She smiled tentatively, before giving a curtsy. She gave a hasty apology, and walked toward another group of people, without another word. 

"I wonder where jousan is?" Duo yawned in his typically happy manner. 

"Yes, I've been wondering about that also. She usually would be the first to greet us; I wonder why she isn't here yet." Sally interjected in a curious voice.

Wufei snorted. "Probably ashamed of the manner she acted in whenever she saw us. I can still hear her calling in that shrieky voice of hers, 'Heeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooooo!'" Wufei shuddered, while Duo crooned the "Heero" part. There was a general blanching around the group. 

Quatre smiled before admonishing the two. "Now, don't say that of Relena; in actuality, she's very nice!" His eyes twinkled with humor, as his words seemed almost paradoxical.

"Don't tell me you actually believe that." Wufei interjected with an exasperated scowl. "She's an immature, spoiled princess brat."

"You needn't be so harsh about it, Wufei!" Quatre said, slightly disapproving.

Heero only glared at the Chinese man, before looking around, eyes darting for the princess who stalked him so much.

Lady Une shook her head, and then turned to Marimeia, smiling gently. "Do you want to go see Relena?" The little girl nodded with a grin, and started dragging Une toward Milliardo Peacecraft. She, with a mild smile turned to the group, and with minor rebuke in her voice, said, "If we see Relena Peacecraft, you all had better be polite to her, or Milliardo is NOT going to be very happy." All collectively shuddered at the thought of an angry Zechs, defending his sister's honor. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Inside one of the inner chambers, Relena clutched her white-gloved hands together convulsively. 

She did not want to go out there.

 She really did not. 

Bitterly, she thought it was ironic, that Hilde, who had a good relationship with the pilots, despite her disappointment with Duo and anger with Heero, could not come, didn't have to come, while she, Princess of the Sank Kingdom, vice-minister of peace relations, had an obligation to attend, when she could not even talk to them without one cutting her openly, or another subtly asking her to get lost.

Her hands tightened, as memories of her last meeting, two months ago, with them returned to her mind.

~*~*~*~*~*~

_"Heero!" Relena sprinted toward the impassive pilot, and clasped her arms around him. She ignored the other's looks and murmurs of dissension. Giving her "prince" another hug, she looked at him happily in the face, and started chattering freely, albeit a little out of control. She needed someone to talk today, and who was a better choice, but Heero, who never said a word, and listened to her whenever she wanted?_

_ Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Noins and Milliardo give her a desperate look. They motioned wildly, and before she could ask them what was wrong, she felt herself being pulled away, and thrown to the floor. She felt the world spin, and her hands scraped the rough, woolen carpet. _

_Gasping, she looked up angrily, and right into the violet eyes of Duo Maxwell. His usually happy-go-lucky grin was gone, and his beautiful, smiling eyes, had lost their shine. Now, they were filled with anger, and their was something different in his face._

_Jealousy?_

_She was confused for a second, before getting up slowly, and asking regally, "What are you doing, Duo?" There was a note of fury in her voice. After all, she was the one talking to the man she loved, and not him. She had not done anything to displease the self-proclaimed God of Death, right? Her wide, blue eyes questioned him silently._

_Duo opened his mouth to speak, when Noins gave a soft cry. His head swiveled to look at her, and she gave him a small shake of her head. Her dark eyes were filled with dread, and there was something that Duo was about to say which she feared. Relena looked curiously at he brother and sister-in-law. Glancing around, she realized everyone were either watching her pointedly, or avoiding her gaze purposely. Puzzled, she turned to Heero for an answer, when she stopped dead._

_His eyes were burning with disgust.._

_She recoiled, as though she had been slapped._

_They were filled with hate for HER._

_Relena clutched her heart convulsively, feeling a dull throb echo in her chest. _

_Whispering, she asked in an tremulous voice, "Heero?"_

_His eyes narrowed, and ignoring the warning growl from Milliardo, he ground out his words. _

_"Leave me alone."_

_Her eye's bulged. No, he was going to say something she didn't want to hear. _

_He was going to tell her a lie. _

_He was. He was. _

_He was going to tell her he loved everything about her._

_He was just putting on a show for everyone around them. _

_He wasn't going to say anything bad. _

_He wasn't going to do anything that would hurt her. _

_She was sure of it, sure of it, sure of it. _

_He protected her all the time, gave her a teddy bear for her birthday, smiled at her on the ship. _

_He claimed so many times her would kill her, but he never did. _

_Surely, surely he wouldn't do that just for anyone. He loved her, he would never, ever try to hurt her._

_Surely he wouldn't. _

_She believed in him._

_Her heart was with him._

_"I don't love you. I've never loved you."_

_Her dreams shattered._

_Relena repeated his words, twisting them around,.  "You don't love me anymore."_

_"I NEVER loved you. Get this straight. I protect you because you're world peace."_

_Her heart broke._

_"You don't love me?"_

_"I love no one but Duo."_

_Her world fell apart._

_Relena staggered back, her head reeling. Clutching the nearest stand, she held on for dear life, as she tried to swallow all she had just heard. Her mind struggled to grasp at the straws he offered her, and slipped, never catching any of the wispy pieces which were now falling all around her._

_She felt the blood slowly drain from her face, as her voice, no more than a hoarse croak, ask, "You love Duo. Duo Maxwell."_

_"Yes."_

_Swallowing, she looked wildly around. This had to be a joke. A horrible, sick joke, but a joke nonetheless. They couldn't truly believe he was telling the truth. Quatre would never lie to her. Wufei wouldn't stand for such a relationship. It wasn't right. That sort of relationship just wasn't right. Her eyes dilated as each person watched her with pity and sympathy. It wasn't a joke, it wasn't a sick joke. _

_It was real._

_A scream of pure pain and loss threatened to choke her, as everything, all the little things she had invested into this love seemed to blow away. The last few years of loneliness couldn't have been for nothing. She had endured years of sleepless nights for this? Life wouldn't be so cruel. God wouldn't be so cruel._

_ Biting the cry back, Relena pulled herself upright, and looked desperately into Heero's eyes, into Duo's eyes, asking them, begging them to laugh, tell her she was dreaming. _

_She searched, but there was nothing but relief and a burden released in their eyes._

_She wanted to wail with the sense of excruciating heartbreak, as she did when the Sank Kingdom had fallen around her feet, when her brother had disappeared from her life, when she used therapy to push everything into the back of her mind. Her soul sobbed with the wretchedness of it all. _

_But, her tears did not come to her eyes; her screams never surfaced past her throat. _

_As her therapist had taught her when she was little, how her foster parents had cautioned that a princess should never show displeasure,, she swallowed all the negative emotion, and buried the anger, loss, pain, and tears to the niche in the deepest part of her being. She did not notice, or refused to notice, that it already was filled to the brim, refusing to see she was ready to fall apart. She closed her eyes to the fact that she was becoming unbalanced , and she ignored the tiny wail inside of her which was screaming for her to cry. _

_Telling her already much-abused heart was shattered._

_And Relena Peacecraft, Princess of the Sank Kingdom, Vice-Minister to the World Nation, looked at Heero and Duo straight in the eyes, gave a blank smile, and left the room._

_Pushing everything down, as she had been taught and disciplined to do. _

~*~*~*~*~*~__

Relena shuddered, and ran a gloved hand over her eyes. There were no tears that threatened to fall, nor wetness. Her eyes were dry. As they had been two months ago.

She had learned to stop crying a long, long time ago. 

"Ms. Relena? It's time to go." The maid's voice floated from the door, and Relena, brushing her dress out, walked regally toward the party she wanted no part of. 

"Princess Relena, of the Sank Kingdom!" A roar of applause rose, as Relena walked through the main archway. Her costume brought out gasps from the crowd. Shimmering silk was wrapped around her lithe body, and a pair of angel wings were extended from her back, almost seemingly real. Her blond hair was curled into ringlets, and they were arranged in artful waves.  There was a delicate necklace wrapped her milk-white throat. Bracelets were clasped over her arms. Her eyes sparkled from iridescent powder, and her lips were pouty, full, rubbed pale pink and silver.

Duo whistled softly, and shot a look at Heero. There was absolutely no expression whatsoever on his stone-cut face. Duo smirked, and then turned his attention back to the Princess. Relena walked toward her brother, and the ball continued, the low hum of conversation echoing through the room. 

"Brother, the party is going as planned, isn't it?" Relena smiled at Milliardo, pleased that feuds were being washed away with the champagne. "Perhaps, peace will be realized among the masses now."

Noins smiled at the Relena, before sweeping her glance at the Gundam pilots who were watching them. Relena didn't turn around.  Her face flushed slightly, and there was a set line around her mouth, as if willing herself to not turn around.

"Relena?"

"Not another word, brother. I'm not an idiot or psychotic enough to ruin the mood of this party." She graced them with a half-bitter, half-mocking smile, before turning to the pilots. Staring at them one fraction of a second, she gave an elegant bow, folding her hand to her chest, and lifting her wispy dress with the other.  Her head tilted slightly as she said, "Welcome to the Sank Kingdom. I hope you enjoy your stay with us." She was then asked to dance by a noble, and she accepted his hand daintily, and walked off, without giving them a second glance.

There was a mutual uncomfortable silence, as Milliardo looked at the pilots appraisingly, before bowing stiffly. He turned and walked back toward the Throne's located at the front of the ballroom. Lady Une looked apologetically at the pilots, before following, Marimeia with her. 

Trowa was as silent as before, staring after the moving figure of Relena. Quatre tossed him a look out of the corner of his angelic eyes, and they both nodded. Gently pushing the rest of the group into the crowd, they started to "mingle" while guarding Relena carefully. There were terrorists who would use the chance to destroy her, since this was a "pacifist" party. 

They saw noble after prince, heir after knight, each bow to the angel-haired princess, and lead through a dance, like an object to be shown. Her smile was always present, never faltering. Her face refused to flinch when one of the men leered at her, and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Sally winced, and flexed her fists slightly, only backing down after a warning glance from Catherine.  

In spurts, either Sally or Catherine would come up and interrupt a dance, in order for Relena to get some reprise, only to be asked by the princess herself to not bother.  She did not seem to have the heart in pretending anymore that she enjoyed the ball, showing the world, by refusing to dance with one person more than once. 

Scouring the room, the pilots and co. discovered that there was talk of a chosen one by Relena. Anyone who danced with her twice, apparently, would be her new prince. Sally felt alarm course through her at the piece of gossip. Nodding to Catherine, she quietly watched the princess, making sure no man would come close to her, who had even an idea of trying to waltz with her twice. 

Relena floated around the ballroom, and Milliardo saw her smile become somewhat fixed. Swearing below his breath, he interjected with a graceful bow, and briskly took her away on their own waltz. Once it was heard that the siblings of the Sank Kingdom was dancing, the dance floor cleared, and everyone stared, enchanted at the seemingly perfect  "couple"".

The pilots only glanced at each other and rolled their eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Relena demurred from the next dance, pleading exhaustion. Walking as quickly as possible, without seeming rude, she slipped into a side room. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she tugged the tiara off her blond hair, before collapsing onto the couch, and closing her eyes. Inhaling and exhaling softly, she felt her temper slightly cool. She had been ready to explode when she had finally finished the last dance. 

This was definitely NOT the best night of her life.

And there were several to contend with it, for the respectable place as the worst. 

"Relena."

Relena bolted up from her comfortable position, and her eyes flew open. Grabbing the nearest item, (a vase) she chucked it as hard as she could. The Ming dynasty vase flew through the air and connected with a hand. She stared at Prussian blue eyes, emerald green, midnight black, azure blue, and violet eyes. Relena stared at them for a moment, confused. 

 Quatre fidgeted slightly, as Relena stared at him, as if she was seeing through their souls. Trowa, whose arm was around his waist, gave a comforting squeeze. Wufei coughed, before finally saying in his exasperated voice, "Well, onna? Are you going got ask us to sit down?" He folded his arms in expectation, black eyes glittering.

Relena started, and then realized what she was doing. Jumping hastily, she placed the "Peacecraft" mask over her features, and they smoothed to a perfect combination of pleasantry, welcome, and business. "Ah, forgive me, Mr. Chang. Please, all of you, sit down."

They were about to sit down, when her formal manner froze them. 

The silence was heavy.

Finally, Quatre broke the silence by asking in a tentative voice, "How are you, Relena?"

Relena cocked her head slightly, and gave him an amused look. "How am I? Why, I am fine as fine can be." Her slightly mocking voice was not lost on the lot of them. Quatre flushed and looked back down at his hands. Duo raised an eyebrow, and shot a nasty glare at Relena. She gave him his look right back.

Heero snorted slightly, which Relena completely ignored.

Wufei said tersely, "Well, onna, we can't speak long, but we need the diskette we requested a week ago." He folded his arms and drilled his eyes into hers.

Relena was silent for a moment, before getting up smoothly. Walking over to the window, and staring out of it, she pressed the palms of her hand onto the cold glass. She was silent for a long moment. Her head swept over the glittery lights of Sank Kingdom. Some of the others fidgeted slightly, as she continued to not speak. Finally, without turning around, her voice indifferent, she asked, "What are you to do with the information?"

There was a startled quiet. Quatre glanced at Trowa, and then at Duo. He was unsure of how to answer; however, Heero helped him by answering bluntly, "It's none of your business." Quatre winced, turning to see how Relena would react to his rudeness.  His short, curt answer did not seem to faze Relena, however, as she did not even react to his tone.

"You're going to use it to blow up another rebel faction."  It was a statement rather than a question.

Wufei raised an eyebrow before asking harshly, "So what? Is little Miss. Peacecraft going to stop us?"

Relena did not seem to even hear him, as she continued in a dull voice, "You're going to kill more people."

"Yeah, what are you going to do about it?"" Duo asked jovially, his voice laced with steel. He did not take his eyes from the golden-haired princess. She was beautiful, he reluctantly admitted. She had the likeness of an angel, and there were very few people who could deny that fact. Relena had a good heart, even if it was slightly blinded. If her obsession with Heero hadn't been so cumbersome and annoying, Duo imagined he would have liked her very much. He regretted, however, the fact Heero had had to use such extreme means to tell her about their relationship.

Wufei watched her. He felt no real hate for her, but her obvious and disgusting chase of a man, by a WOMAN, was disgraceful.  He believed in her advocating for peace, though. Relena had her merits, though they seemed to be entirely overshadowed by her obsessive behavior. However, Sally seemed to genuinely love the girl, as did every single woman they knew. For some reason, they couldn't stand the pilots trashing her too much. And for that, he had learned to curb his tongue in their company. As much as he could stop his insults anyway.

Trowa, having the least contact with the princess, liked her as much as he could like a person outside of Quatre and Catherine. Her pacifism ideals were the best choice for the future in his opinion, and he knew the other pilots dedicated themselves to her protection because she WAS the only shot they had of actually living in a war-free world. His eyes darkened with the images of a painful past. Memories of his war-ridden childhood, and the knowledge of the other's pasts, were enough for him to follow her faithfully. 

Quatre understood Relena better than anyone else in the group. Being the mother-figure of the group, he knew how much pressure she was under. She was far from spoiled; in fact, if it wasn't for her bearing, she could have been easily been one of them. He was the one to see her in action. Relena's charisma when speaking of pacifism was awe-inspiring; if the others would actually go to one of her speeches, and listened, they might understand her good points. Her fixation on Heero was part of her shell, something that could hold her up in the world of politics. Or at least he hoped that was what she felt; infatuation. He winced at the memory of the confrontation only a couple months ago. If it was not infatuation to her, then he dreaded to see what was left of her heart.

Heero stared at her. Ever since the first time he had met her, he had felt a strong pull toward the girl. What she thought was love, however, was just his attachment to the word "peace". She stood for everything that he wanted for Duo and himself, and for that, he would eternally protect her. Even with his caustic remarks about her, he respected her, liking her against his will. However, at points, he would have been glad to strangle her, for her obsessive stalking, even she was not aware of.

Their thoughts to themselves, even though they were all staring at her, none noticed the desperate look flit across her face.

She stared down at her hands. Relena noticed with a detachment, that they were well-shaped, without a single bump, bruise, or a scratch. They were politician hands; unused to labor, never having touched a tool, or carried a gun. Her fingers still glowed from the manicure she had gotten with the wife of the France diplomat. Their slender shape seemed to by carved out of stone. A single, gold band adorned her hands. 

They were perfection itself.

No blood stained the skin, no war marred the smoothness. 

Because she had someone else to kill others who rebelled against her.

Closing her eyes, she prayed for forgiveness. 

Opening a drawer, she drew out a case, and looking at the shiny covering for a moment, she tossed it at Duo.  "Here it is. I got the information from the L3 diplomat. Orders are to be followed, whether I like it or not."  She had tried to keep her voice impassive, but failed, bitterness souring her tone. Relena clenched the disk for one more second than necessary, and for a moment, Duo feared he would have to wrestle it out of her hand. But, before any of them could jump in, she let go, simply, albeit reluctantly.

Duo examined the disk carefully, before sticking it into his front pocket. She followed the disk with her eyes, and they grew shuttered as it disappeared into the dark clothing. She turned back to the window, and was silent once more. Quatre cleared his throat tentatively. "Thank you, Miss Relena.  We'll be going now."

She did not respond, or move; did not even give an indication that she had heard him. Quatre bit his lip, then sighed, before the pilots got up in a collective motion. Filing out of the room, Trowa, who was last, paused, turned back once more, and gazed at the silent girl, who had apparently given up on them.

And for some reason, this fact gave him a sense of anxiety.

~*~ Part Two ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~

Demeter here. This is the second part… methinks I am a tad too depressed… ^_^;;

A few notes for readers:

1. If anyone wants to flame me about Relena, please try to construct it into useful criticism. I don't usually mind people e-mailing me about mistakes, but if you send me a letter, ripping into how quote, "Relena could never act like that! She's such a simpering, obsessive little psycho bitch!" unquote, then I'll personally send that flame onto the Internet and show it to everyone. Sorry. I respect everyone's opinion about who they like, but I really hate it when someone doesn't respect a character simply because of their perspective of that certain character. 

2. Yes, I love Duo. This story is not about making Duo into the bad guy. This is a story about RELENA.


	3. Angel's Fury

Title:  "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction, in no way related to the original storyline. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter. __

Part Three: Angel's Fury

A family is never far behind in the footsteps of a lost spirit. Relena feels alone, yet calls upon no one for help. Noins and Zechs both worry for the increasingly-distant Relena. They devise a plan to help a broken heart. Only, are they too late?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Noins marched through the halls briskly and efficiently, causing all in her path to scurry away in fear and awe. She banged into the room where Milliardo Peacecraft held his council, and he looked up, his blond hair braided much like Duo's, in surprise, at his wife, the normally calm Lucrezia Noins. 

"Is there something wrong, sweetheart?" He asked, his voice mild.

"You have to get Relena to stop working! She hasn't taken a break since the Centennial Ball, and that was weeks ago! She refuses to eat more than she has to, she never refuses to attend a party, even though we both know she hates them! And Lord knows, there have been enough to run her ragged!" Her breath came out of her in short pants, giving way to real worry, evident in her dark eyes. They were anxious for the girl she considered her own sister, and knew naught for what to do.

Milliardo stood up, and walked swiftly toward his wife, his steps smooth. Wrapping his long arms around her waist, he held her close, his chin on top of her head. Breathing in the scent of her shampoo, he murmured softly, "I know. I've seen her. But, unless she takes the actions herself, regardless of what we say or do, she'll just plow through her work." His beautiful eyes were twisted with worry for his imouto. The only two to ever break through his shell had been Noins and Relena. No person was as important to him as those two, and he dreaded the idea of losing them.

Noin's eyes flashed, before bursting out, "It's all Heero's fault. If he weren't such a cold bastard, Relena wouldn't be so depressed. She then wouldn't be trying to drown herself in her work! Look at the state she's in! She's becoming skin and bones!" Her dark eyes grew even more anxious and she clenched her fist as though she wanted to knock someone out with it. Unconsciously, her hand came down to her stomach, where a life was flourishing, and rubbing it slightly, she bit her lip. 

Milliardo regarded her with worry, before saying slowly, "There really is nothing we can do. We can't make Heero love her, and we can't repair the damage he did, or we think he did, to Relena. She has to stand up herself, and understand that there is life after him; that her love is really just infatuation." 

He paused, before pushing ahead.

"Regardless of how we feel, unless she takes the initiative to get better, and to learn to live again, there is nothing that will help cure her." He frowned and absently let his fingers flutter over her stomach. "Don't go worrying yourself too much. Relena has handled far worse catastrophes in her life than this one. She'll pull through.  I know she will."

Noins gave him a tiny smile, but the smile did not reach her eyes, as she worried in her heart. How would Milliardo, as a man, know of the deep wells of feeling, women had? Relena did not feel any less because she was a politician; she felt all the more. She had to bury her emotions for the public, and there was no other way of releasing them, but showing them wholeheartedly to Heero.

Noin nestled herself into Milliardo's arms and she felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. She was surprised to find herself crying; after all, she was a soldier, and soldiers, no matter the situation, never cried. Biting her lip to hold back the tears, she looked up at Milliardo, and said slowly, "I don't think it's that simple, Zechs. She loved him, even if it was partly out of desperation in being caught in a gilded cage; she still felt strong emotions. To have it cruelly wrenched away, taken so suddenly, it would destroy even the strongest of people. And she lost to Duo, a guy she knew and loved!"

"What do you propose I do?"

"Perhaps Relena needs a heart-to-heart with the guys."

"A heart-to-heart? Lucy, you know this is the GUNDAM PILOTS you're talking about."

"How about we let them take her to the ocean for a day? Maybe being where she enjoys life the most will help her spirits."

"The beach. I don't know if it that's a good idea. After all, that's where she met him." 

Noins twisted her hands anxiously. She knew the story well, better than Relena almost. The girl had repeated the tale so many times, Noins wondered sometimes whether it should be set into history, as the moment "The Queen of the World met her Prince!" She had laughed when the thought had first arrived. Now, to the caring, older woman, it was just a horrible meeting of a luckless fate. "Oh, I know, but maybe she'll understand she fell in love with the image of him, and not really HIM."

Milliardo regarded his wife with his blue eyes, so much like Relena's. He looked intently out the window, and then sighed. Heero had never been his favorite person, and now, to actually call him and ASK the stern pilot, whether he would or would not take Relena to the beach was an idea he did not relish. Hoping he wasn't making a mistake, he nodded his head, and went to the screen, called Dorothy first to command her back from the colony, and then phoned in the pilots for the next order.

~*~ Part Three ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	4. If There Be Truth, Then There Is No God

Title:  "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All the characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction. They are not related to the original plot. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.

Part Four: If there be truth, then there is no God

Even Shinigami believes in the presence of a God. Can all hope be lost, when the Princess lets go of her future, and clings to the past? A life broken, can rarely be mended. But, with friends, one can try to put the broken pieces of an egg back together again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

From the distance, the blonde, dressed in a clingy, satin dress, looked like the epitome of beauty. Her hair flowed down to the middle of her back, and shone in the sunlight. Her large, ice-blue eyes struck many of a man in the middle of his heart. The silvery lips were full and pouty. The curves of her body seemed to be carved from cream-glazed porcelain. Everything from the tips of her toes, to the elegantly manicured fingers of her hands, to the perfectly proportioned chest, indicated she was no less than a goddess.

Her steps were unhurried as she stepped from the long, golden limousine. She strode elegantly toward the main doors of the Peacecraft mansion, and greeted a few, who gave thrilled looks at the knowledge that Dorothy Catalonia, close confidante of the Peacecrafts, remembered their name.

Dorothy paused before the room of Relena, giving a slight smirk before she pushed the door open, and entered the stifling room. She gave a kiss to Milliardo and Noins, before sashaying toward Relena with a wide grin. Hugging the sandy-haired girl, she held her at arms length before saying softly, "You're all skin and bones Miss Relena. You really should eat a little more." Her grin grew wider, before laughing out loud.

Tossing her purse to the table, she sat down comfortably, before asking crisply, "What's going on?"

Milliardo cleared his throat, and spoke genially, "Dorothy, I would like you to accompany Relena to the Malone beach tomorrow. Of course, the pilots will be coming along for protection." His eyes did not stray, and they looked intently into her ice-blue orbs.

She cocked her head slightly, glanced at Noins, before answering affably, "Certainly, I would love too. It has been awhile since I've had a vacation. It'll do my skin well; the colony air has absolutely no moisture! Look at me. I've dried like a mummy!" Her light-hearted tone brought the smallest of smiles to Relena's pale face. Dorothy looked over her sharply, knowing what they meant now.

Relena asked in a hesitant voice, "Are you sure, Brother? After all, there is still much to do before the next conference. I really do not have the extra time to waste on the beach."

"I told you, Lucy and I shall take care of all your duties for the day. Go enjoy yourself! I would not want my imouto to grow stunted from the lack of sunlight.

"Then why do the… pilots have to come?"

"For protection. When outside, even disguised, you're still in potential danger at all times."

"I would really prefer only Dorothy and I go."

Noins interjected herself at this point, smiling at Relena gently. "Even though we want nothing more than for you to have a good time, there is still a chance some terrorist will get wind of this "vacation" of yours. They will stop at nothing to kill you. It would simply be safer to have them by your side."

Relena looked rebellious at this. Her blue eyes, once dull, now shone with rebellion. "Then why not someone else? It doesn't have to be them, you know. There are plenty of Preventers who are qualified to protect me. How about Sally? Or Lady Une? Or even Hilde?"

Milliardo was ready for this, and he responded breezily, "Hilde's too busy right now, and we haven't been able to get hold of her. Lady Une, though once a general of OZ, cannot possibly protect you from a terrorist who will undoubtedly be highly trained and have no qualms of employing sharpshooters. Sally can't be pulled from her work at the moment, and she sent me back the message that all the current Preventers are in other various projects, and only a few new recruits are available right now." Of course, this wasn't entirely a lie. After all, there really wasn't anyone around Headquarters; it was only that Sally just happened to  call them off right after Milliardo had talked to her. 

Years of training had steeled him for lying. However, nothing during the lessons could match the suspicion in Relena's gaze or the doubt lurking in the shadows within her face. 

"Then why do all five them have to come; couldn't just a couple, maybe three protect me? Surely not ALL five are needed. Trowa and Quatre work wonderfully together; they'll be more than enough, right?" Relena could not help but allow an anxious note enter her voice.

Milliardo said smoothly, "You know the pilots work best TOGETHER," pausing to emphasize his words, "I think you'll enjoy your time." 

"I won't go."

"You have too."

"Say's who?"

"Say's me."

"And me."

"And moi."

Relena nearly screamed in frustration. With nothing to do but to slam the door, she stalked out of the conference room, and snarled at anyone who greeted her, leaving behind a bewildered crew of her cabinet members. Her face grew shaky, and she stormed into her bedroom; the one place she had sanctuary from the havoc of the office. Slamming the door, she pushed the balcony doors open wildly. 

Trembling, she collapsed onto her balcony floor. Her eyes returned to the dullness that had been present the past few weeks, and all emotion seemed to leak out of her. Relena leaned against the railing, before looking down, noting with detachment, how far up her balcony was. Her eyes followed the tiny figures scurrying in the garden below. 

Really, the balcony was very, very high.

She stood up slowly, her face fixed on the well-manicured lawns below her. She put her hands onto the railing, and pushed her body over the edge, leaning forward, trying to capture butterflies. Her expressionless eyes stared forward, seemingly to be searching for something. Relena placed one leg over the railing, almost in a daze, and she seemed on the brink of doing something, when she seemed to realize where she was. __

_Don't do it._

Licking her suddenly dry and colorless lips, she stepped back quickly, and huddled on the floor, her knees drawn tightly to her chest. Relena rocked back and forth, little mewling sounds escaping her throat. Mewls turned to a humming, and strains of the haunting notes floated over the air and around the castle.

_Fly, fly, fly, so very high, high, high._

_Butterfly, butterfly, spread your wings and fly._

_Fly to freedom, even more beautiful when you die._

And through it all, Relena's eyes stayed blank and dry.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Relena sat in her chair, unmoving

Dorothy glanced down at her outfit, and smirked. Her dress flared just below her thighs, and the color accentuated her ice-blue eyes. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she smoothed her distinctive eyebrows, the ones she had inherited from the Kushrenada blood flowing through her. She had tried for the past half hour to try to rouse some sort of reaction from the silent Princess, but had quit as Relena refused to even acknowledge the other blonde's presence.

Dorothy was starting to have doubts of her own. Relena seemed to not be in the right "condition" to see the pilots. Her thoughts stopped and she smiled wryly. In all situations, she was not in the real mood to see them either. Much time had gone by in the past years; and she had forgotten how much she had dreaded encountering them again.

 The last time she had a face-to-face encounter with the pilots was when she had nearly killed Quatre. Her eyes darkened, as wisps of past deeds caught up with her. She remembered painfully of the wounds she had inflicted on the innocent Quatre, as he tried to show her what her eyes and Grandfather had blinded for the whole of her life. Dorothy vividly recalled the look of loathing that had passed from Trowa to her after he saw Quatre's wound.

And that was not even half of what seemed to have happened that day with Heero Yuy, from what she had heard....

~*~*~*~*~*~

_"Ms. Catalonia?" _

_Dorothy turned from her brisk walk toward the conference room of Milliardo Peacecraft. Casting the hapless aide a glare that would have melted granite, she asked curtly, "What?"_

_"Um, Mr. Peacecraft asked not to be interrupted."_

_"He'll want to talk to ME."_

_With those final words, she stalked toward his room, before bursting in on Milliardo, Noins, Lady Une, and Sally. Without even giving a greeting, she ground out, "Where. Is. That. Bastard." Her eyes flashed with what she was feeling, and she saw the four glance at each other, before sighing collectively, and saying, "Get in line."_

_Dorothy plopped herself down on the chair, before asking angrily, "What the hell is going on? What's with Yuy telling her like that? From what I've seen, I thought he would let her chase him for the rest of his life, and content her to that little measure of happiness." She banged her fist on the table, sending the papers flying, and the pens rolling hither thither. Milliardo looked at the mess, before sighing, and giving up on work._

_Noins cleared her throat carefully. "There was... a change in THEIR... relationship."_

_"Or so they say." Sally added dryly. _

_Dorothy looked at the two of them with disbelief. A myriad of conflicting emotions in her was battling, and she felt disappointment bubbling up in her. Disappointment, disappointment with Duo most of all. She had thought for sure, the long-braided baka would be smart enough to keep their relationship a secret from the princess. Surely he had known that no good would come out of telling her. "Then Duo is a bigger fool than I thought. He's destroyed the only shield he and Heero had from prying eyes." The bitterness in her voice was evident, from her frown._

_Lady Une extracted a file from her bag. Clearing her throat, she said, "Currently, the personal bodyguards of Relena Darlian are the Gundam Pilots Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, and Chang Wufei. But, this can be easily remedied if wanted. I have doubts that Relena would wish that the Pilots continue on as her bodyguards." She raised one eyebrow in question, leaving the options hanging in the air._

_Dorothy shifted uneasily. She could almost predict the uproar in which the switch would create. Interjecting, she voiced her thoughts slowly. "The Pilots are considered the best of all the Preventers. There is no one out there who doesn't know their skills. It's a known fact the Peacecraft family trusts them, and everyone knows of their loyalty to Relena. That was the reason they were assigned to Relena in the first place. If we suddenly switched the bodyguards, with no readily explainable reason, there would be mass questioning about what happened. There would be speculation about what happened between Relena and Heero; someone might even find out about their meeting."_

_Milliardo sighed heavily, his dark blue eyes looking tired, and full of regret. "I've thought about that. Even if there weren't the media, I would still nix the idea of them not protecting her. The terrorists are desperate and will stop at nothing to kill Relena. The pilots, as much as I hate to say it, are the only ones qualified and skilled enough to protect her." He narrowed his eyes, and for one moment looked more like the Lightening Baron, than the peace-loving Milliardo._

_Sally gave an exasperated snort. "What are we going to do? Relena has not left her room since yesterday, and the media are bugging us about what exactly is wrong with her. We can't say she's sick forever. And at this rate, somehow, they're going to get wind of what happened."_

_Lady Une sighed heavily. "There is nothing we can do. I don't even know where the pilots are; they disappeared after yesterday's little confrontation. If I didn't know better, I would think they were avoiding this place."_

_Noins snorted. "Why wouldn't they? They must know that nearly all of us are out for blood."_

_Une testified to this with her silence._

_Various thoughts on what should be done ran through Dorothy's head; unfortunately, none of them were usable, as they all included bloodletting.  Finally, she burst out angrily, "This is just great. What a fucking, stupid thing the pilots had to go and do."_

_Nothing more was said, as the group continued to pace, think, curse soundlessly, and polish a gun._

_A soft rap, sounded from the door._

_"What?" Milliardo asked, his voice sounding exasperated._

_Relena came in, her face pale but composed._

_Dorothy leaped up, her face shocked. There was no way Relena could have recovered this fast from such a wrenching blow. It was literally impossible. She hurried forward, her words stringing soundlessly, trying to find a tactful way of asking the questions that were preying all their minds. But, being the blunt person she was, she finally settled on the question, "What the hell?"_

_Relena did not react to her harsh words; only glanced at the icy-blue eyes, before she turned to her brother, and asked in a flat, emotionless voice, "Brother, I am sorry for the inconvenience I put you through. My body was not feeling well. We must start on those alliance talks; the ambassador from L3 has been waiting patiently for three days now. Sally, if you would be so kind as to escort him to the main conference room. Apologize for my untimely disappearance."_

_There was general disbelieving silence, before Sally nodded, half in a daze. She left the room silently._

_Noins stepped forward, and eyed Relena. Holding her hand out, she took the silent girl gently by the hand, and led her to a seat. Setting her down, she rubbed her back, and asked in a soft voice, "Are you okay, Relena?"_

_Relena stared ahead, before breaking into a smile, a smile they were all very familiar with, and one they had thought they would never see again. Something was different though. There was something missing in that innocent smile._

_And Milliardo realized exactly what was missing. _

_The innocence._

_He felt as though the bottom of his stomach had dropped out._

_"I'm perfectly well Noins. I just needed a little time to rest." She rose gracefully from her chair, amid the protests of Lady Une and Noins, and slipped out of the room, not giving them the chance to drill her. Lady Une felt the first signs of something starting to slip out of their grasps._

_And it wasn't a pretty feeling._

~*~*~*~*~*~

Dorothy breathed in very slowly. That meeting seemed to have changed everything. Relena didn't have them change the bodyguards; in fact she insisted that the pilots stay. "Good for morale," she had said. But, they weren't the only ones to notice that Relena never talked to the pilots directly. She either sent notes through her faithful secretary, Melissa, or gave a message to Sally, Lady Une, or Noins. Even when they sat down to dinner together, it was almost like they didn't exist. 

And the pilots weren't helping much either, from what she had heard from Lady Une. Both Quatre and Wufei had seemed surprised that they were still to continue as her bodyguards. Heero and Trowa, characteristically had said nothing. But, Duo only went quiet, and stopped talking altogether for a few days. Wufei had commented on the beauty of the peace, but anyone could tell he was worried about the American pilot.  

A few months ago, Noins had gotten so worried, that she had called for Dorothy to come to the Sank Kingdom. She had sounded almost hysterical over the phone, and Dorothy, alarmed, had asked her what was wrong. All Noins could do was choke out that Relena wasn't responding at all. She had all been prepared to go, when Noins had called back, only a few hours later, saying the crisis was over, her voice tired, and almost bitter. Dorothy didn't pry, stayed where she was, but didn't unpack her bags. 

She had tried many ways to delve into Relena's thoughts; unfortunately, they all seemed to be blocked, either by a gentle reassurance, or a blunt, "I'm okay." And Dorothy felt that everything was not "okay".

Her head started pounding.

She froze when she heard the doorbell ring. Barely breathing, she heard the faint murmurs in the main hallway, and the clear, crisp voice of Melissa, inviting them in. Letting out the sigh, she walked toward Relena, and knelt in front of the sandy-haired girl.

Her ice-blue eyes looked intently into cerulean blue. She searched from some sort of reaction in the bottomless orbs, and she still saw no sign of pain, no real emotion that was visible. Dorothy felt her heart constrict slightly, and whispers from the psychology classes she had taken came back to her...

This was not a psychology textbook.

It was real.

Sighing, she stood up, and said softly, "Relena," for once forgoing all the pleasantries she had once used on the pacifist princess. "The pilots are here. We should go out and meet them."

Something flickered in the blue eyes, and she seemed to wake up, as if from a dream-state. Her eyes blinked once, twice. She looked around, and then smiled, the corner of her eyes crinkling. Dorothy followed her movements, as a mask slipped over the delicate features, and sighed as she recognized the "Peacecraft" mask.

Again.

Dorothy rubbed her forehead very gently, before taking a deep breath, and opening the door to the main hallway.

~*~ Part Four ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	5. Do Not Go Gently Into The Quiet Night

Title:  "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction, in no way related to the original storyline. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter. 

Part Five: Do not go Gently into the Quiet Night

Everyone wants the princess and her heroes to heal the cracks, and stop the wars between them. Yet, can a broken vase truly be mended? Or is something more sinister than the truth going to break them apart?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Quatre had been apprehensive the whole way there on the car. All morning, he had been fluttering, from one pilot to the other and admonishing them to be nice. There had been a tense atmosphere around them ever since they had gotten the mission for protecting Relena and Dorothy at the beach. When Duo had read the printout, he had enthusiastically agreed, and jumped headfirst into the attic to look for his swimming trunks. 

Wufei had only complained about the uselessness of onna and baka's in the world, and if there were kind one's watching, both would drown.

Quatre had told them all most disapprovingly, that if any of them even said a word like that to Relena, he would get mad.

That had shut the Chinese pilot up.

Trowa only watched the proceedings with an amused and affectionate air for the Arabian pilot.

Heero didn't do anything at all, except say in a monotonous voice, "Mission accepted."

And in the end, here they all were, in Relena's hallway, waiting for the secretary (Melissa was it?) to bring the princess out. Quatre glanced around the dark hallway, and unconsciously wrapped his arms around his body. He had never liked the weather in the Sank Kingdom much. Compared to the desert, it was almost like a refrigerator. Trowa directed one, calm green eye at the blonde, before standing closer protectively.

Quatre basked thankfully in the body heat of the tallest pilot. 

Heero had been irritable all morning; even going so far as snapping at Duo for a minor infraction. The genki American pilot had not seemed deterred in his attempts in trying to wring a smile from the emotionless soldier. Wufei glanced at his watch, before muttering an oath about women who were always late. He was in a foul mood, not helped by the fact that the secretary had been cool, almost to the point of frigid to them. She had taken one look at their faces, before inviting them icily.

No doubt she disliked them intensely. Either because of Relena or they were just naturally disgusting to her.

Quatre was leaning more for the former.

There was a rustle, and Heero whipped around, his eyes narrowing at the slight noise. Dorothy had slipped in from a side room, almost unnoticed, if not for the hearing capabilities of the "perfect soldier". Her eyes held a promise of blood, as she locked eyes with him. She communicated her thoughts with one perfectly arched eyebrow. Her suddenly feral glint warned him to be careful of what he said.

"Miss Relena, the pilots are in here."

Everyone tensed. 

Relena came in, her face blank.

No tears.

No whining.

No glomping.

Just blankness.

Wufei raised an eyebrow at her expression, before smirking slightly. He said nothing however, as he bowed stiffly, opening the door for her. She nodded, and walked out into the warm sunlight, allowing the rays to drift into the darkened hallways. Her sandy hair lit up and reflected the bright prisms coming from the sun. Relena stepped daintily into the limousine, and sat silently, ignoring them.

Dorothy watched the entire proceedings, and sighed.

Quatre eyed her with a bit of hesitation, before asking softly, "Where is it exactly we're going?"

"Malone Beach."

Duo's eyes widened, and he suddenly gave a short bark of harsh laughter. "You want to recreate that little scene Jousan and Heero had? Hope they'll suddenly fall in love again?"

Dorothy's ice-blue orbs narrowed. Grabbing his arm, she ruthlessly yanked him to the side where Relena would not hear of see them. Her voice dangerously low, she hissed, "If you DARE, Maxwell, I swear, on that braid of yours, that I will kill you. Slow and painful. And HE will be able to do nothing." She shoved him backwards, and he banged the brick wall, eliciting a loud ,"Ouch!", out of him. 

She spun around to them all, and murmured, "That goes for all of you."

Stalking to the limousine, she slid in, and slammed the door with a loud clang, before the driver floored the machine, and they were left in the dust. 

"Looks like you'll have to be careful, Maxwell."

"Very funny, Wufie."

"KISAMA! Don't call me that!"

"I'll call you what I want, Wufie!"

Quatre sighed at the now-familiar image of the two arguing. Turning, he climbed into their own car, an unmarked car that they would use to follow her. Heero took up the drivers seat, and the rest piled in, with Duo in shotgun, Trowa behind Duo, him in the middle, and Wufei behind Duo. They drove the entire way silently, once in a while swerving to avoid another car. 

"She doesn't seem very happy about going on this trip with us." Trowa observed, his green eyes expressionless.

"Perhaps she.... " Quatre's voice trailed off, his blue eyes worried.

"Oi, Heero!" Duo suddenly said, and pointed at the car in front of them. The other car had suddenly speeded up, and was quickly driving away. "Hit the accelerator!" 

He gave Duo a withering look, before flooring the car, and jumping after the limousine. Soon, they were neck-and-neck, and Wufei glanced over, choking on the water he was drinking, when he saw that the person driving was Relena Peacecraft. 

"Hold it, Yuy! It's the brat driving!"

He immediately slowed, and they fell back. Trowa craned his neck, saw the familiar head of sand, before sighing. "Looks like she's trying to get away from us."

"Why in the hell would she try to get away when she was the one to hire us?" Duo's elfin face crinkled into a questioning frown.

"No, remember it was actually Zechs who called us in."

"That's right. We never even saw Miss Relena." Quatre said slowly, his eyes fixed on the rapidly moving car ahead of them. 

Arching an eyebrow, he suddenly gave a maniacal laugh, and then flopped back into his seat, saying, "Well, it's too complicated for MY head. I'm going to sleep. Call me when we get there. Turning on his side, he gave a dramatic yawn, before tucking in. 

But his thoughts were still awake. 

_God._

_What if Heero still loves Jousan?_

_No, it can't be. He wouldn't. There's no fucking way he would do that. He proved it to me already. Proved it already. I can't doubt him. I won't doubt him. I won't be like Jousan. No fucking way._

**_"But what if?"_**

_Leave me alone._

**_"He might still hold a flame for her."___**

_Shut the fuck up._

**_"He may just hold you as a replacement for something he deems himself not worthy for."___**

_He LOVES me._

**_"Then why would he agree to protect her?"___**

_It's his mission! I'm not listening too you._

**_"Oh? His mission? Isn't the war over?"___**

_There are still people wanting to kill Jousan._

**_"So no one wants to kill you."___**

_I'm safe. I can protect myself._

**_"Doesn't someone who loves someone want to protect THEM."___**

_He trusts me._

**_"Oh.."___**

_I hate you._

**_"But I'm you. So you hate yourself."___**

"Duo? Duo? DUO!" The aforementioned young man stirred, before opening one eye groggily. 

"Yeah?"

Quatre gave him a gentle smile before saying, "We're here." Duo craned his head, and saw the vast expanse of the ocean. Opening the door quickly, he smelt the tangy air, and felt the warm rays of the sun wash over him like the warmth of a loving caress.

He shivered and then turned slightly before winking at Heero. 

Heero only raised an eyebrow, before briefly pinching Duo's butt as he passed by.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Well, that was a total waste of time."

Quatre shook his head at Wufei's comment, before sighing. Speaking aloud, "In a way, it was. Miss Relena never even talked to us the whole time, while Miss Dorothy ignored us on a whole."

Trowa shrugged slightly, "What can you expect? See her jump for joy?" 

"The water was great though! We gotta do this again sometimes!" He wrung out the water from his braided hair, as well as he could, before saying cheerfully, "And it wasn't a total loss; jousan doesn't look as pale now!"

Wufei snorted, before he piled the rest of the equipment back into the car. 

Heero slipped into the driver's seat, but not before he glanced appreciatively at Duo's glistening body, the dusky skin, combined with hard muscles, caused more than one hormone in his brain to jump-start. Sighing, he pushed the delectable image from his brain, and made a mental note to get Duo into the bedroom they shared as soon as they got back. 

Relena stared at the group.

_They seem to live life to the fullest; even Wufei and Heero._

Something squeezed her throat and quickly, she turned away, to stare at the endless expanse of blue which lay before her. There were sparkling diamonds that floated by the thousands on the surface. Waves washed up against the shore softly, and as she bent over, she dug out a handful of sand.

The sand was gritty, drying, the grains scratching the palm very slightly. She smiled slightly, as memories of weekly beach trips with her mother and Pargan surfaced. Her haggard face lightened a little, before she stood, stretched, glancing around her. The pilots were preoccupied with packing and Dorothy was distracted, looking for her wristwatch. 

Relena hesitated only one moment, before quickly working her way down the sloping hill, encountering the one place on the beach where everything had started. 

The place her life had changed.

Cerulean blue eyes stared at the endless sea.

_I met Heero here. _

_Was it really so long ago?_

_Three, four years. _

_Very, very short in terms of the feel._

_I can't believe how bitter I am. _

_Why? Why can't I congratulate Heero... and Duo. Why can't I be like everyone else? Why can't I be the forgiving one here? I am not a bitter person. I am not. I am not. I am not. I'm not a psychopath. I'm not obsessive. I'm not. They aren't right. None of them. I'm not that way. I'm not a bitter, obsessive psychopath, who had nothing better to do than stalk one, Heero Yuy. _

_God, am I?_

Relena shook from her reverie. Unbidden tears had gathered at the corners of her eyes. Brushing them away hastily, berating herself for crying, she continued her trek down to the water. Sighing gustily, she chewed on her bottom lip before taking her shoes off and walking into the ocean. 

_Lucky I wore my swimsuit under my clothing._

Her steps led her deeper and deeper, before she felt the cool water washing her waist. The refreshing burst of salt air entered her lungs, causing her breath to come easier. 

_So nice. _

_I really should get out of the office more. _

_Maybe this is what "they" felt._

_Maybe I can be free too. _

_Heero._

Relena stopped midway. Her lips curving into a half-bitter, half-mocking smile, she idly splashed the water around her. Months had passed since she had felt this good. Too long to count. The chairs, though designed for comfort, took their toll on the butt after a while.

She giggled.

"RELENA!!!"

Relena turned, startled. Her eyes encompassed the five Gundam pilots running, swimming toward her. She was allowed only a few moments of wonderment, before she found one arm caught by Wufei, the other by Trowa. Then, her face left with blank amazement, she was dragged back toward shore. Starting to struggle, her voice sputtered indignantly, choking when sea water entered her mouth.

Bringing her back onto shore, she found herself dragged onto the sand, before being dumped rudely. She started coughing, her knees and hands digging into the sand, with the force of her hacking. When she finally stopped, she looked up wearily. Five angry eyes stared back at her and she gulped, suddenly feeling a trill of fear run up her spine. 

"Onna, if your going to kill yourself, go somewhere private where we can't see!" 

"Kill myself?" Relena gaped at the Chinese man, before swiveling her head toward the other pilots. "What are you talking about?"

Wufei stopped mid-rant, and stared at her. 

"You're not?" Quatre asked, his voice weak.

"Um... well, no."

As one, they all turned to stare at Dorothy. Her face had started flushing, and for the first time they had ever seen, she sputtered.

A silence followed around them.

Their eyes once again turned to fix on Relena, and her wet hair clung to her face, the strands dark against the paleness of her skin. Her bangs blocked the cerulean eyes from view; none of them knew what she was feeling at the moment. 

Relena drew up, her long legs taut and smooth. A wooden expression covered her face, and her mouth was set into a thin line. Her voice queer, she asked, "You really think so little of me? So little that I would kill myself just because of people like yourselves?"

Her voice grew sharper, rancid knives dripping from each word. "I would never kill myself. Don't people depend on me to preserve peace? Aren't I the dove of peace? I would not be so selfish as to give up the shaky peace because I have my own greedy and spoiled desires." Her last words were thrown out in bitterness, and she tossed her head up, the blues eyes stormy with pain and betrayal. 

She shook the water from her hair, the droplets cascading over the still-kneeling pilots. She shut eyes tightly, silently telling herself not to cry. Pressing her lips together, she stalked back to the car, calling over her shoulder, her voice devoid of emotion, "We better go home Dorothy."

The car door slammed shut, and the tinted windows hid her from view. 

Dorothy sighed, her own face regretful, before meandering back to the limousine slowly. 

Hesitating, she looked over her shoulder. They were still there, their faces stony, not even Maxwell smiling. Sighing, her soft words floated over to them, "All of you better go tell Milliardo of your resignations." Shutting the driver door, she drove off, leaving the pilots to fend for themselves. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

The drive back to the mansion had been silent. Dorothy had attempted to start a conversation several times, only to be rebutted with icy words or short answers. In the end, she had given up communication and had lapsed into watching the sandy-blonde. 

Entering the courtyard, Dorothy murmured a quick thanks to the driver, warning him below her breath to not say a word of the happenings that day. He nodded gravely before bringing the car into the stalls. 

Her footsteps clicked on the marble floor, bringing several maids to the front, fussing over Relena's damp clothing. Dorothy watched, standing to the side, her eyes narrowing as Relena submitted to their ministrations without a word, almost like a..........

"Beautiful doll, isn't she?"

Without turning, she murmured, "Beautiful, yes. But I never thought she would turn out like this."

Catherine sighed, her voice gravely from jet lag. "Life's just full of unexpected surprises, hm?"

"I suppose."

"You know she can't take any more."

"I know."

"Then why aren't you doing anything?"

Dorothy spun on her feet, a wrathful reply on her lips. She saw only the question and quiet remorse in the older girl's eyes. Narrowing her own eyes, she spit out bitterly, "I've tried. There's nothing we can do. Relena's always been fragile. We just thought she was strong enough to bear everything until it was too late. You've seen the doctor reports, haven't you? She's seen a psychiatrist before. When the Darlians first brought her from the destruction of the Sank Kingdom. All she could do was cry until the bastard told her it wasn't proper for a princess to cry. Wasn't damn proper!" She spat, the anger leaking from her like a balloon punctured by a porcupine.

Catherine watched with expressionless eyes. Closing her gray eyes, she patted Dorothy on the back before speaking. "Yes, I saw the reports. Sally showed them to me. But, surely one doctor couldn't have influenced her enough to stop crying altogether."

"I've looked into that." She paused, her voice bitter. "According to soldier-boy, Relena's cried before. She had tears in her eyes when he left her on that ship, that last battle, a year before Marimeia. I've asked that little groupie of hers. She wept a bit when Heero ripped up her invitation." She stopped again, her voice stabbing. "The heartless bastard."

"Any real bouts of crying? Those seem pretty petty to me."

"No."

"Oh."

"Ms. Dorothy? Ms. Catherine?"

They turned to see a servant bobbing a curtsey. "Very sorry to interrupt you, but Miss Darlian requests your presence in the ma-" She was interrupted by a loud crash. Both girls pulled weapons out of nowhere, Dorothy, a gun, Catherine, a handful of throwing darts.

On the trellis to Relena's room, in the dim lights from the castle walls, they saw the unmistakable glitter of a gun.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Quatre knocked on Relena's door. 

"Enter."

Shivering at the cold tone, he pulled on the reluctant three, before toward forbidden area. 

She turned from her seat at the window, her eyes icy and hard. Her voice cut them to the bone, each word slicing at their hearts. "Is there something you wanted?" Directing her question at Trowa and Quatre, she did not even look at the other three.

"Relena, we're here to inform you… Well you see… We can't…"

Heero shoved forward, his Prussian blue eyes stony. "We're resigning from bodyguard duty."

Relena gazed at him, her expression carefully neutral. She turned back to the window. "Oh?"

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

"What can I say, Mr. Chang? Get on my knees and beg for you all to stay?"

"Relena, please.."

There was no answer from the princess as she continued staring out the window. 

Trowa sighed, before silently tugging on his lover's arm, patting the worried expression from Quatre's face.  Quatre bit his lip, before plunging ahead one more time. "Relena, believe me, if we...-" Before he could finish his sentence, the shattering of the window interrupted him. A figure rolled in through the shower of glittering glass. The next thing they knew, Relena was yanked backward, by a strong arm, and held to the person with a gun to her head. 

As the dust cleared, the pilot's eyes widened, as a lithe figure, seemingly poured into a leather body suit, appeared. The dull metal of the gun gleamed in the light, and dark eyes glittered maliciously below a head of wavy, silvery hair. Relena had gone white, her lips pale. 

"Stay back, or Relena Peacecraft is food for the floor!" The sharp command immediately caused the Gundam pilots to back away, but not to lower their guns, which had been whipped out of nowhere. The young woman perused them slowly, her gaze narrowing, as they fell on Heero. 

"Well, now. Relena Peacecraft. What a situation you're in. Princess of the Sank Kingdom caught in a trap." She pushed the gun harder against Relena's temple, causing the girl to wince with pain. 

"Let her go." Heero's quiet voice echoed in the silence.

"Not a chance. Her death will mean the end of peace. That is all I ask for." She grinned darkly. 

Relena's eyes widened, filling with terror. Going eyes steely, she spoke in a tightly controlled voice. "Go ahead and kill me. Milliardo Peacecraft will still continue down the road of peace. As long as there are people, there is hope. Terrorists like yourself will never win."

There was a silence.

"Well, now. Isn't little Miss Peacecraft the heroic princess?" She looked around at the five slowly, before continuing. "But, I can gather that if she died, you would be EVER so heartbroken. So I'll strike a deal. If you," pointing at Heero, "and you," pointing at Trowa, "kill the braided one, the blond one, and the dark-haired one, then I'll let her go. The loss of three Gundam Pilots will be just enough to pay for the life of Relena Peacecraft."

A horrified silence followed. 

Heero had gone rigid, his Prussian blue eyes showing a flicker of disgust. 

Trowa kept the expressionless mask on, but put down the gun.

Relena was the first to speak. "You can't do that! You cannot ask to exchange one life for three!" She struggled harder, desperately trying to loosen the stranger's arm around her.

The girl only tightened her hold.

Heero and Trowa glanced at each other. 

Then they turned to the terrorist.

"We refuse."

Another silence.

"Surprising, but not entirely unexpected. Very well. Say goodbye to your... friends... Relena Peacecraft. We're going to go."

She threw something toward the pilots and instinctively, they ducked.

Something exploded.

"Goodbye pilots. You will pay for your callousness to Peacecraft."

And the two figures disappeared. 

Milliardo Peacecraft burst in through the double French doors. He was followed closely behind by Dorothy, Noins, and Catherine.  He took one look at the mess, before rushing to the window and howling out his only sister's name.

~*~ Part Five ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	6. Gone But Not Forgotten

Title: "Scars" 

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction, in no way related to the original storyline. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter. 

Part Six: Gone but not forgotten 

Loss is a hard emotion to comprehends. It gapes open, almost swallowing a person whole when taken unaware. With the loss of Relena Darlian, what happens to Earth and the Colonies?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dorothy paced up and down, unable to rest, unwilling to sit. Catherine, sipping a glass of tea, watched her thoughtfully, before standing up and gently pushing the blond into a seat. Looking between a cup of coffee and a shot of vodka, she debated silently, before pouring the alcohol into the coffee. Handing the cup to Dorothy, she said, "Drink it."

Ice-blue eyes stared at the cup, before taking it with shaking hands, and draining the entire cup with one gulp. Her thoughts grew wild, ranging from wanting to kill the pilots to dreading the outcome of the search going on at the moment. The media were in a frenzy, trying their hardest to find the people closest to Relena to interview them. 

"I can't believe this happened. HOW could this have happened?"

Catherine turned sympathetic eyes to Dorothy. She did nothing but pat her gently on the shoulder, before leaving the room quietly. Standing in the hallway, she leaned against the wall, her back sliding down the concrete until she was sitting on the floor. 

Leaning her head on her arms, she felt something burning in the back of her eyes. Swallowing hard, Catherine worked to keep the tears from pooling. 

"Cathy."

"Trowa."

She felt him slide down to sit next to her, before cracking open one eye. His hair was tousled, and there were faint lines under his eyes. She wasn't in the least bit surprised. None of them had gotten any sleep since the whole kidnapping. 

She doubted she would ever go to sleep again.

"Cathy... I'm sorry."

Catherine looked at her younger brother, turned her head to stare at the ceiling, before replying, "It's not your fault Trowa. It's not any of the pilot's faults. Though, I bet that Dorothy feels differently." She paused, her tone light, before continuing, "Nothing could have prevented what happened today. If you two had indeed killed the other three, Relena would have loathed herself for causing what happened. And everyone would've been unhappy."

He was silent, his one visible eye pained. Noins had had to sedate Zechs in order to prevent him from launching himself at Heero to kill the young pilot. The amount of tension in the office had been excruciatingly high. Sally had commented bitterly that she was in disbelief that the room didn't go up into flames, the way hateful words had been screamed at each other. Her words had seemed to strike a chord in Wufei, as he could not come up with his customary insults.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and found himself looking into Catherine's gray eyes. "Trowa, listen to me. You can't beat yourself up over what happened." She paused. Her gray eyes roamed over her brother searching for an answer.

Trowa watched her steadily.

 "You can't." She whispered softly.

Her expression suddenly making her look much older than she really was, she slowly lifted herself from her uncomfortable position on the floor, before patting him awkwardly. Walking down the hallway, she called behind her. "Oh, and try to avoid Dorothy. She's a bit unbalanced right now."

Trowa stayed there, long after she had left. 

And it was Quatre who found him, two hours later. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

The search went on almost continuously for a six months. There was neither a hide nor a hair of Relena Peacecraft. It was as simply as if she had disappeared off the earth, into oblivion. And, with the colonies, that was not a highly unlikely idea. The colonies volunteered to conduct sweeps, and sweeps were seen through. Yet, no sign was found of her.

The Preventers had searched unfailing, but even they, in the end, had to give up. The Gundam Pilots continued looking afterwards, but no indication that she was even alive ever found their way to their reports. Heero worked his way back to the L1 colony and picked up old habits. However, the perfect soldier uncharacteristically was found out, forcing him to give up and return to earth. 

Milliardo refused to stop and threw his entire being into searching for his little sister. After eight months, however, Noins forced him to stop for his health. Lady Une, Sally, and the Preventers used the best of their technology, but nothing turned up. Catherine inquired at all the towns she stopped at and found nothing but rumors and false hopes. 

Dorothy hunted with all her being. Looking, trying to find some evidence, a shred of something that would tell her that the girl was still alive. She found nothing and sank into despair at ever seeing her friend again. 

Chaos broke loose. The fragile negotiations between Earth and the Colonies fell apart and the relationships on earth grew tenuous at best. Battles between different states broke out, and there was little peacemakers could do. A group of dedicated Sank officials tried desperately to retrieve order, but in vain. What Relena Darlian had managed to hold together with her two slender arms, now grew torn, even with hundreds of people trying to bring them back. Rebel factions started springing up, and before long, the two worlds, Earth and Space, found themselves entangled in another war. 

And there was nothing anyone could do. 

~*~ Part Six ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	7. Goodbye Is Not Forever

Title:  "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All the characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction. They are not related to the original plot. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.

Part Seven: Goodbye is not Forever

Whoever said "time heals wounds" must have never been hurt. Time does not heal wounds; they only allow them to scar over. Never, ever heal. Now that the river of time has passed the pilots and families by for seven years, what will happen?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Seven Years Later.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Shade, I think the Suit is off-balance."

Shade, a woman, about the age of twenty-four, turned from her work on the computer. "What do you mean?" Her expressive cerulean blue eyes glittered with anticipation.

"I think there might be a glitch in the main-frame computer."

"Hn. I'll check it out." Leaping lightly off her chair, Shade propelled herself into the space, and set herself lightly onto the large robot. Entering the Gundam, she started setting the preflight mode. Finishing, she perused the information which flooded the screen and within minutes, amid the scrabble of binary codes, she spotted the problem. Typing rapidly, she righted the alignment, and got out of the cockpit.

She floated toward one of the halls, and she walked briskly to a dark red door. Opening it, she asked brusquely, "What's my next mission?"

Silk looked up, her silver hair tied back in a bun, and  smirked. "Thought you'd never ask." Pulling out a drawer, she took a CD out and handed the shiny case to her. "Here it is. Enjoy."

"Oh, I will. I will."

"Too bad I can't go on this mission. I would have dearly loved to jump into Milliardo Peacecraft's bedroom and scare the shit out of him!"

Shade snorted, before slipping the disk into the computer. Reading the material, she frowned. "Silk, are you sure this is what they want me to do? I mean, look at it. They want me to infiltrate the Sank castle. That's not going to be easy."

Silk looked up, her eyes twinkling. "Well, if you don't think you can handle it..." Her voice trailed off with a question in the air. Shade scowled, before stuffing the disk back into her pocket and walking back to her room for her suit.

She wasn't one to give up a mission because of difficulties.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shade looked down the hallway. It was clear. She was lucky that Silk had already set the bombs in place, in the unforeseen chance that something would go wrong. Walking silently on the marble floor, she suddenly felt a sense of deja vu. It was as if she had walked down before... but that was impossible! "I must have watched the mission video one too many times," she growled, before quickly tapping the access code into the security channel. Quietly setting the system "trap", she stepped into the darkened room. 

Spotting the computer, Shade uttered a small cry of triumph. She had found it!

Booting up the hardware, she quickly accessed the back-up system, before hacking into the CPU. Biting her lip in concentration, Shade slipped the disk into the computer, and started downloading all the information that she found onto the disk. Frowning, at what she found, she started viewing all the screens.

"What in the world?" Shade muttered. Her slender fingers flew over the keyboard, as she tried to understand what she was reading. "All this info is at least seven years old. Why in the hell would they want me to infiltrate a highly-guarded compound, slip into a politician's room, and then hack into a computer, who's information is seven years old?" Scratching her head in puzzlement, she typed in a few words. Moving the cursor over the screen, she clicked on the "PROFILES" icon. 

Time apparently had been hard to this computer. All the faces were blurred, erased, or completely lost. Unless...

Suddenly, with a look of intense concentration, she started typing rapidly. Soon, some of the pictures were slowly replacing themselves. But only a few would even consider reviving.  No matter what she did, a majority of them refused to clear up or return from the black hole of the electronic world. 

"Hn, might as well. Wouldn't be anyone I recognize any way." Shrugging her shoulders, she ejected the disk, and stood up; placing the chair in the exact position she had found it. Leaping over the table, she accidentally knocked over a paperweight. It clattered to the floor with a soft thud, and she held still, holding her breath. Hearing nothing, she picked up the weight, and saw it wasn't a paperweight, but a nameplate. Squinting in the dark, she felt out the engraved letters.

"R.. E.. L.. E.. N.. A.... D… A… R... L… I... A... N... Relena Darlian." Shade cocked her head. She spoke aloud to the quietness, "Relena Darlian... that pacifist princess who disappeared years ago." She shrugged and continued searching the desk. Finding nothing, she stuffed the disk into her jacket and quickly walked toward the door. Tapping the "out" code, she slid open the door, and poked her head out the door. Seeing no one, she danced out, typed in the "lock" code, and started slinking through the darkened hallways of the quiet mansion.

Sighing in satisfaction, she started moving cautiously toward the backdoor. "That was... uh... simple. " Wrinkling her nose, Shade moved toward the wall. Pressing her wristband, a red light beeped and a tiny picture appeared. Silk appeared, and her normally sunny face was tense. Seeing Shade, she let out a sigh of relief. 

"Geez, Shades! Let a person worry all night why don't you!" Silk scolded. Shade smiled, before reporting where she was. 

"I'll be out, as soon as I get the main gates open. See to it that the computer is up and running when I get there. I have some information to look over when I get back." 

Silk nodded. "Acknowledged."

The screen disappeared. Shade looked around, and started cracking the code for the gate. Hitting the last number, she straightened, and the gate started opening.

"What in the world are you doing?" A soft voice interrupted. 

Shade spun around, simultaneously whipping her gun out. Leveling the barrel at the voice, she whispered harshly, "Who's there?"

The person's eyes widened, before stepping back slightly. He eyed her gun and then looked at her in the face. With a blurred movement, the person leaped forward, and had grabbed her throat. Shade choked, before aiming the gun and shooting. He grunted with pain, and they came face-to-face, and grim eyes, which were the color of an angel's, stared right into her cerulean blue eyes. 

His eyes widened in disbelief.

His fingers loosened.

Shade took the opportunity to wrench her neck out his grasp. Cocking her gun, she managed another shot, as he leapt out of the way. By this time, the gate had opened. Sliding out the door at top speed, she leapt onto her motorcycle, and screeched away, leaving the man in a cloud of dust. By this time, the rest of the castle was waking up, as lights blinked on from one room to the next.

Shade cursed herself and the mystery person before she sped toward her aircraft. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Back at the castle door, the young man, known as Quatre Raberba Winner looked after her with disbelief in his eyes. He glanced down at his bleeding arm, before staring at his hand, which was curled. Bits of skin, which had flaked off her neck, were still on his nails, and he looked at them, before back after the motorcycle. 

And he uttered a name that he hadn't in six years.

"Relena..."

Only silence answered him.

Trowa came out.

His green eyes narrowed as he took in the bleeding arm and the dazed look on Quatre's face. Walking over the blond-haired Arabian, he wrapped his long arms around Quatre. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the scent of the faint cologne Quatre usually wore. 

He didn't speak for a few minutes, just holding the angel he loved close. 

"Don't ever do that again." 

Quatre gave him a smile before a troubled shadow crossed his face. Trowa noticed and then asked in a quiet voice, "What's wrong?"

Quatre turned to him, his eyes puzzled. He answered, his voice faltering, "I... when I... tried to stop the intruder, I... saw... I saw her face."

Trowa frowned, looking at his lover. "What?"

Quatre continued in a hesitant voice. "She looked exactly like someone. Someone we knew a long, long time ago."

The brown-haired Gundam Pilot felt something in his stomach turn, and change to a pit of ice. He stared at Quatre, and he tilted his head slightly, asking in a voice laced with steel. "Who?"

Quatre stared out the door once again, and in a distant voice, devoid of emotion, he answered. "Relena Peacecraft."

Trowa grew still. He felt his heart thud within the confines of his chest, and the bile rose in his throat. The one name that had become some sort of curse in the last few years and had never been uttered, was coming from the lips of one of the only people he trusted. He too, stared out into the inky blackness, after the ghost of the person who seemed to have miraculously come back.

After seven years.

Trowa's troubled eyes, looked upward to the sky, which was filled with stars, shut them tightly, before letting Quatre go with a kiss. Heading toward the milling people, he sent a medic to Quatre, and went in to make calls to a few people.

Quatre continued to stare at the skid marks on the road in silent wonder.

~*~ Part Seven ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	8. Meeting With Fate For Tea

Title: "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All the characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction. They are not related to the original plot. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.

Part Eight: Meeting with Fate for Tea

A mysterious woman who appears at the Sank castle, a woman who looks exactly like the missing Princess who disappeared seven years ago. Is there a connection? Or is it just fate playing another game?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Shade continued to swear as she piloted her mobile suit into the space station. Climbing out, she tossed her helmet to one of the mechanics, pushing herself into one of the hallways. Her unladylike words led several of her passing pilots to look at her in amusement; most chuckled and glanced at each other knowingly before continuing on their way. Others smirked, setting their noses in the air as the pilot most favored by the General stormed past them. 

"Bad day?" Shade spun around and glared at Silk who was leaning against the wall, her face contorted in her attempts to not laugh. Shade only snorted before stalking to the infirmary. Silk's eyes changed subtly, from fun to a touch of curiosity. Following Shade, she entered the infirmary to see her ripping bandages from a roll, and wrapping them around her neck. Noting the quantity, she sighed and made a mental note to stock up on gauze before the week was over.

"What happened?"

"Some stupid soldier stopped me; he was fucking strong. Hemanaged to be fast enough to get his dirty claws around my throat. Scratched the flesh enough to leave scars!" Yanking the gauze away angrily, she stabbed a slender finger at her neck. "THIS is what happened."

Five angry finger marks were indeed imbedded in her skin and blood was seeping out of the thin cuts.  The skin was still red, imprinted on the milk-white skin. Shade wrapped the bandages around her throat again, and plopped onto an infirmary bed, throwing an arm over her eyes. 

The clock ticked as Silk awaited further words.

"That man...he looked so...what's the word... familiar." 

Silk stilled, before asking in an amused voice, "Oh, how so?"

"I can't quite say 'how', but I know he is."

" Why."

"There was something warm about him."

"..."

"He had blond hair, blue eyes, the bluest, clearest eyes I've ever seen. Angel eyes..."

"... Angel eyes?"

"A term I heard a long time ago. I don't even know where from now."

"..."

"Silk?" Shade sat up, eyes searching for her friend. But, the woman had disappeared. Shaking her head in exasperation, she swung her feet over the bed and walked back toward her room. Along the way, she kept thinking about the man with blue eyes and the baby-like face.

He seemed so innocent, so free... so unlike myself...

Shade sighed, before flopping onto her bed and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Silk, as soon as she had left Shade's vicinity, lost the sunny smile which had been plastered onto her face, since Shade had said, "that person had looked familiar." Her eyes turned to steel and her stride became purposeful. Anyone who passed her in the hall scurried out of her way as her eyes told everyone that she was out for blood.

Banging into Shadow's room, she snarled a greeting. The older lady looked her up, her glasses glinting in the sudden brightness from the hall. As usual, her room was as dark as night, preferring the shadows rather then the glitter. 

Hence her name.

Sitting languidly back, Shadow drawled, "Is something wrong sweetheart?" 

"No, on the contrary, I have good news. "Little One" is starting to remember."

Shade stilled and then pulled her glasses off. Leaning on the table, her hands folded beneath her chin, she looked thoughtful. Keeping the same position, she strayed a hand toward the keyboard and tapped rapidly. Glancing at the screen, she sighed, and leaned back in her chair.

"Well?"

"It was not completely unexpected, you know. We sent her on that mission SO she would see the information on the computer; that's why I purposely went into the banks and scoured out all the important people's profiles.  She can't see those pictures just yet, and I had thought everything was protected. I suppose we did not count on one of the Gundam Pilots to be there. But, meeting one of them WAS sooner than I wanted her too."

"It was Quatre Raberba Winner."

"Ah. Correction, two Gundam Pilots, as where he is, the other is sure to be."

Silk lay sprawled on a seat, and she looked pensive. "Perhaps we should cancel some of her missions for now. She's been complaining of headaches; the blocking device we implanted maybe starting to wear down. I don't want her remembering anything until the right moment." Her eyes darkened, allowing her face to seem all the more dangerous.

Shadow replied sharply, "No, I don't want her out of the picture just yet. It would seem ridiculous to send a perfectly healthy pilot on sick leave, just because she's been complaining of headaches. The other pilots would revolt; you know we have made it our policy to treat everyone equally." Standing up, she moved to a side stand, and continued in a conversational tone, "Tea?"

"A cup, with a dab of milk, and a spoonful of sugar. She's not really just 'everyone'. They know, even if they don't say it, that we treat her slightly better than the others. And for now, that's to our best interests."

Bringing the tea over to the table, she gave Silk's saucer to her and settled back into her own chair, sipping the gently steaming tea. "You're right, of course, but, until the truth is revealed, I would think it best to not so openly favor Shade. I think the proper action right now is to jump into the second phase headlong. It has been seven years after all. Informants have told me that the Gundam Pilots are actually living in a relative peace, even with the war. With so many minor rebel factions appearing, so far, our "attacks" have been regarded as minor incidents and aren't considered a problem the Gundam Pilots would have to intervene in. I think our Gundams have been modified and tested enough to start the "Rebellion."

Silk snorted, "And what good will that do?"

Shadow smiled, sipped her tea, and then continued mildly, "Led none other then by the pilot, Shade."

Silk's eyes widened and then her lips curved into a grin. Nodding her head in agreement, they lifted both their cups of tea into the air and motioned clinking before draining the dregs. 

~*~ Part Eight ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	9. Losing Faith

Title: "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Warning: Yaoi. 1X2, 3X4, 5XS, Relena-centric, Relena-flaming will not be tolerated, unless done in a constructive way. As in, telling me WHY I suck in writing this instead of just "This sucks!"

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction, in no way related to the original storyline. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter_._

Chapter Nine: Losing Faith

What is faith? When all seems to have returned to normalcy, a ghost from the past returns in all her shining glory. The relationships that have been fragilely mended will once more be torn apart. 

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Wufei fidgeted slightly as Sally continued with her report. He hated these sorts of meetings; all show and no go. They were boring as hell, compared with what they COULD be doing. Tapping a foot on the ground, he waited impatiently for the lecture to end.

Sally concluded with a warning and a smile to the soldiers, and dismissed them with a salute. Shuffling her papers together, she walked off the podium and toward Wufei. Seeing his scowling face, she gave a small chuckle, before linking arms with him. "You know, you'd be more popular with the new recruits if you smiled a little more. They respect you, but they're scared of you too."

Wufei snorted, as they headed for the jeep. Leaping into shotgun, Sally took up the drivers seat. The vidcom was blinking, as she revved up the car. Wufei hit the receive button, and was surprised to see Trowa's stoic face on the screen. "What's going on?"

Trowa looked tense then. "Is this a secure line?" His normally calm voice, agitated. 

Wufei glanced at Sally before answering, "No."

"Then get to one and call me at the Peacecraft mansion."

The screen blinked a couple times before going black.

Sally looked confused as she shut the screen. "What was that all about?" 

Wufei stared at the screen, before speaking in a curt tone, "Get us to the nearest secure phone line." 

Sally glanced at him from the corner of her eye, but had been working with him long enough to know when not to argue. All she said was "Hold on." Pressing the gas pedal, she did a one-eighty, the tires squealing. The speedometer's needle climbed steadily to 80, 90, 100, 120. 

A few minutes later, they screeched to a stop in front of a large building. Getting out of the jeep, they passed all greetings and banged into the communications room. Ignoring protests, they pushed the harried operators out and shut the door with a bang. Sally locked it, and surveyed the room carefully. She took off her coat and stuffed it under the door, to block out he sound, and poked some threadbare cloth into the keyhole. She locked all the windows, and closed the curtains. 

Wufei was sitting at the vidcom, and was typing in the number for the Peacecraft mansion. Moments later, Trowa and Quatre appeared, one seemingly nervous, the other impassive but with a noticeable fidget. Wufei asked brusquely, "What's going on?" 

Quatre glanced at his silent partner, before talking. "Somebody broke into the mansion last night. The intruder slipped into one of the rooms and hacked into the computer system. We think it was... Darlian's. The person managed to get to the outer doors, before I stopped the her."

There was a pause. 

Wufei looked more than a little exasperated, before saying, "So? That room hasn't been touched in seven years. There shouldn't be anything of importance. What's making you all so jumpy?"

Quatre continued softly. "I saw... I saw the person's face. It was a woman."

Another silence, slightly longer. 

Sally felt her heart twist, knowing something was going to be said that would change everything.

Wufei leaned back in his chair, his eye shadowed. "A woman?" 

Trowa broke in then, putting an arm around Quatre. "The woman looked like a person we ALL knew a long time ago." His flat voice made the statement all the more real.

"And?" Sally asked, her heart thudding.

"She looked exactly like Relena Peacecraft." 

*Bang* Sally whirled to see Wufei's chair slam to the ground. His eyes were black, furious. "Look Barton, if this is some sort of sick joke, it isn't funny." He clenched his fist, looking horrible. 

"I wish it was a joke, but it isn't! She was there. I saw her with my own eyes! It was Relena!" Quatre was nearly shouting in agitation. He rubbed his hands together anxiously. "It was Relena. There's no changing that fact." Trowa squeezed his arm comfortingly, and Quatre looked at him, thanks in his blue eyes. 

Wufei leaned over in his chair, his face hidden in his hands. "Kisama." He didn't look up as he asked, "Does Heero and Duo know about his?" 

"No." Trowa's voice was emotionless. "I assumed it would be best we told both of you first."

"How about Milliardo and Lucy?" Sally asked.

"No."

The seconds ticked by as thoughts echoed through their heads. There were no sounds while the four of them tried to comprehend the situation. Finally, Sally, with hesitation in her voice, said, "Relena can't hack into a computer, let alone sneak into a tightly guarded castle, and THEN escape by a mobile suit. She has neither the skill, nor the inclination; she was a pacifist, remember? The person might have just LOOKED like her."

Quatre bit his lip, his sea-green eyes troubled. "I don't know. It was so like her... down to the hair. Even the color of her eyes. I've never seen those color eyes on anyone after she… disappeared. Dorothy's on her way over."

"Dorothy?"

"She knew Relena almost better than her own brother."

Sally looked into Trowa's eyes, and then said slowly, "I'll contact Milliardo and Lucy. You guys call Heero and Duo as soon as you can; they need to know." Quatre gave a hesitant nod, and the screen blinked off.  Sally bit her lip until it bled, wishing desperately this was all a bad dream, a bad dream, which would let her wake up soon. 

She had known Relena better than the pilots, and knew of her passionate nature in helping others. She was not the flighty princess they all thought she was, and did not believe that her obsession with Heero was purposeful. Relena had a kind heart, and although blind to things such as real love, she never wavered in giving all she could. 

Until she had nothing left.

Sally smiled bitterly as memories returned. How Relena would stare out the windows at times, her eyes lost in some dream, only to be prodded back to reality. The despair in her eyes then had never been easy to bear. To know that you weren't in the world you wanted to be was hard for her, harder than anyone. 

She could still remember the stark pain in Relena's face, as she tried to comprehend the fact that Heero had just told her bluntly, in front of the whole group, that he despised her and only protected her for world peace. 

There had been so much white in her face.

Wufei's short bark brought Sally back to reality. She hurried from the room, intent on calling Milliardo and Lucy, and telling them the news. 

~*~ Part Nine ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	10. Eternity In Ten Seconds

Title: "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All the characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction. They are not related to the original plot. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.

Part Ten: Eternity in Ten Seconds

The hands of fate have started to move restlessly now. The oil of war has started to boil and in the center of it all, Shade, the pilot thrives. The new threat against the world has appeared, and she wants blood. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shade only cast Silk a look of indifference, when the older woman sidled up and asked slyly, "How about some Angel Eyes?" Her slightly mocking tone was not lost to the sandy-haired pilot; snorting, she continued on her clean-up of her suit, ignoring the snickers around her. She was not known for messing up on a mission and here she was, hurt and almost caught in the process.

Silk cast them all a warning look before she told Shade in a low voice, "Shadow wants to talk to you."

Shade looked up, her eyes widening. Shadow was not known for easily inviting someone into her sacred chambers. Silk, to her knowledge, had the only rank in the DREAMERS group who could pass in and out of Shadow's rooms with ease. 

She nodded. And then set off for the enigmatic Shadow.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Come in."

Shade opened the door cautiously, feeling her heart thud in her chest, nervousness of unknown degree swarming through her. Entering, she was temporarily blinded in the dark. As her eyes slowly adjusted, she saw the figure in the center of the room, the light from the hallway glinting off the glasses.

Shade bowed stiffly before walking toward Shadow.

"Pilot Shade?"

"Yes, General."

"No need for formalities here."

"Yes."

"Good. Please, sit down."

"Thank you."

Shade sat in a high-backed chair and fidgeted uncomfortably. She waited for Shadow to start the conversation. 

"Shade, how long have you piloted those mobile suits of ours?"

Shade blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"How long have you piloted our mobile suits?"

"Close to six years."

"And how do you think you did?"

Shade paused, her eyes taking in the expression in the other woman's face. Narrowing her own, she replied stiffly, "I feel I am the best of our group."

Shadow smiled, the glitter lost in the darkness. 

"That good?"

"Yes."

"You know of the Gundam Pilots?"

"… The legendary five men who fought in the AC 195 war?"

"That's correct."

"Yes, I've heard of them."

"Have you ever seen their pictures?"

"Only of Quatre Raberba Winner, Trowa Barton, and Chang Wufei."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Where did the other two go?"

"Er…"

"That such famous men, Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell would not be seen anywhere, is it not?"

"Not a surprise, since I have heard they're both hackers of some remarkable degree. They probably have set up some sort of system to ensure that any picture of them would be destroyed." She hesitated. "Also, it seems that they have a relationship much like that of Winner and Barton. In days such as these, where even the rich and powerful have a hard time having relationships between the same genders, it would not be a surprise that they would go into hiding."

"Ah."

Shade eyed the woman. "Is there something you wanted out of this?"

"Of course there is."

"And?"

"We have completed our own line of Gundams."

There was long silence after her words. Shadow watched Shade carefully, seeing first shock and disbelief pass through her eyes. 

"I cannot believe that. I heard the technology that built those Gundams were lost during the AC 196 war."

"We have our own sources."

"That's impossible."

"In dreams, nothing is impossible."

"That's true. But this cannot have succeeded."

"Yet we have."

Shade stared at Shadow.

"You are telling me you have Gundams."

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Only three since Gundanium is rather hard to find and transport."

"Why is that you tell me this?"

"I want you to pilot the first Gundam and lead the other pilots into battle."

Shade stood, knocking over her chair in her surprise. A hungry gleam now glowed in her eyes. She searched for a hint of a lie she half-expected to see. Only the calm, unnerving gray glinted back at her through the glasses.

"You're serious."

"We're starting the Rebellion."

"DREAMERS are starting the Rebellion."

"That's right."

The event that all the pilots were groomed for. The war that they all were drilled on. The fight that would allow them to rule the world. 

"I accept."

Shade missed the sudden gleam of glee in the dark woman's eyes. She was lost in her own thoughts of fighting in the legendary Gundams. Gaining glory and fame as the one of the only pilots left to be able to pilot the monster machine. A thought suddenly occurred to her.

"How about the other two?"

"They will be piloted by the pilots Sight and Snow."

Shade stood rooted. 

Both her friends.

Fighting by her side.

"Yes."

"Good then. Dismissed."

Shade bowed, before hurrying from the room. 

Shadow waited until the door was firmly closed before allowing the laughter to escape her throat. She allowed the laughter to run its course before finally staring at a picture on her desk, silver-framed, as ordinary as any picture on any workstation.

"My darling, sweet child. You, who were lost by those who killed so easily, will have your blood back. I'm sorry it took so long." She let one hand caress over the yellowed photo of smiling little girl, her pale pink dress drifting in the wind, her hat nearly blowing off her head, and her pet, a sweet, tiny, furry dog. 

"I had lost you once. But I have found you again. She is like you. The Princess is so like you, darling child." Shadow smiled, her face gentle again, her eyes soft. "And I, sometimes, I feel that I have received a second chance to be a mother again."

She paused.

"That man. That horrible man who killed you will eventually fall into my hands. All of them will. All of them who made this war last so long…"

Shadow clenched her fists. "I swore on your death, that I would kill all of them. And I have not forgotten. Child, the time draws near for the decisive war between us. But, don't fret yourself. I have insurance. They will determine the DREAMERS future. And she, she will be my trump card."

Her voice grew bitter.

"They will learn of the pain felt to lose that part of themselves."

The girl in the photo smiled back, her blue eyes never wavered or changing. And the little dog continued to hold the white flower in his mouth, its big brown eyes staring solemnly at the camera.

~*~ Part Ten ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	11. Piloting

Title: "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All the characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction. They are not related to the original plot. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.

Part Eleven: Piloting

Two new pilots make it on stage. The macabre play has grown into a strange comedy, laced with mystery. Who are these new pilots, and what connection do they have with Shade? A real threat has now awakened, and the world must face it.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sight pushed her hair from her face impatiently. The chocolate hair gleamed in the light, carelessly tossed into a ponytail. She bent her mind on the mechanical components of a glitch. Sliding underneath the mobile suit again, she checked her figures against the temporary computer set up to the mainframe. 

"Sight."

Jerking, she banged her head against the steel ceiling of the suit. Cursing rampantly, she slid out on her back, screaming obscenities at the erstwhile human who had dared to  wander into her domain. 

"Shade! What in fucking hell are you doing?!"

"I just wanted to surprise you, that's all."

"Yeah, well, surprise. Now leave me alone." She turned her mind back to the mobile suit. 

"Not yet. Take a look at this."

Sight glanced at Shade's neutral face warily. Looking back and forth between the document and the smooth features, she sighed and took the papers. Flipping through the pile, her deep-blue eyes glinted as she gaped at the sheer responsibility that they had been handed. 

"FUCK! This is the plans for the new Gundams!"

"That's right."

"That means…"

"That's right also."

Sight stood still, looking at her as if she was completely insane. Then slowly, her face brightened and she gave an unholy shriek of joy. Bouncing up and down, she first hugged herself, then Shade, then the suit, then herself again. Running around the room, she finally collapsed onto the table. Her eyes sparkling with just a hint of diamond-hardness, she said, "And this came from the general herself?"

"Directly."

She whooped again, screaming at this and that, basically bringing half the contingency down to the hanger, all with frowns on their faces. 

Finally, the two managed to procure themselves from the rabble and move to Snow's room. Sight was still speaking of the mission; only in coded terms that no one but Shade or Snow would have understood. But the wide and genial smile on her face provoked more than one suspicious glance from the crowd. 

"Well? What else?"

"Nothing much."

"Where IS Snow?"

"Probably somewhere in the training center."

"That girl never rests, eh?"

Shade didn't respond to that. Snow was someone who rarely, if ever, made friends among the others. She was known for her icy exterior and schedule that she adhered to rigidly. A typical day for her would follow this regiment:

Wake at 4:30

Train until 7:30

Breakfast from 7:30 to 8:00

Train from 8:00 to 11:00

Break from 11:00 to 12:00 

Lunch from 12:00 to 12:30

Study from 12:30 to 5:30

Dinner from 5:30 to 6:00

Train from 6:00 to 9:30

Break from 9:30 to 10:00

Sleep at 10:00

More than one person had tried to test out if the regiment could be broken.

Of course, almost all failed. The only one to succeed was Shade and Sight. Shade by distracting her with a debate on the merits of the AC 195 war and the AC 196 war. Sight succeeded by annoying her to the point of challenging the former to a fight in simulation. After that, the three were basically as close as friends in DREAMERS could get. 

Which meant, not that close. But none of them were complaining. They all needed partners in the future battle and who else to befriend then those who were the best? 

"Whatever it is, Sight, wish to accompany me to the Simulation Room?"

"Sure. Love to see Miss Prissy-pants start ranting."

Shade frowned.

"Geez! Can't anyone in this place take a joke?"

"Where it concerns you, probably not." The voice was almost merry, with a hint of sly mocking.

The two of them turned around and clicked their heels sharply. "General Silk!"

"As I was saying. As long as you're within a mile of anyone, the joke is more of a cosmic death threat."

Sight pouted. "My sort of humor's just completely lost here, isn't it?"

A queer smile curved on Silk's face. "Shinigami's humor is abnormal for most people's standards."

She then swept down another corridor, leaving two more than a little puzzled soldiers in her wake.

"Shinigami?"

Shade cocked her head. "I think it means "God of Death" in Japanese."

Sight blinked. "Oookkkkkaaaaayyyyyy. Either Silk just went officially insane, or she was complimenting me."

"Neither. I would think she was making fun of your recent enthusiasm in taking on the name, "Goddess of the Battlefield who's smart and damn beautiful to boot", that's been circling not-so-inconspicuously through the ranks."

"Damn. I always knew there was some catch."

There was a snort as Shade cast her a derisive look. "Serves you right for adopting a persona that's plenty idiotic." 

_And damn cute to boot! The God of Death has entered the building!_

Shade halted in the middle of the corridor, sweeping her eyes over and up around the space. She tensed, one hand over her gun. Sight had paused in front of her and cast her a puzzled glance. "Shade?"

"Didn't you hear that?"

"Er… Hear what?"

There was a momentary pause before Shade relaxed and looked around, her face slightly wrinkled in complete and utter mystification. "But I could have sworn I heard a voice."

Sight arched one eyebrow high, listened carefully, then sighed, her voice adopting a mock mournful tone. "You poor soul. These missions must be destroying your fragile psyche." Patting Shade on the shoulder, she sighed theatrically. 

"Sight!"

"C'mon! What do I say to 'I can hear voices…', coming from you? It's basically saying, 'Hey! Look at me! I'm a nutcase!'" Sight twirled her finger around her temple, doing a poor imitation of a loony toon. She smirked at the disconcerted look on her friend's face. There wasn't much that could rattle Shade. And when there was… yee ha!

"Never mind. Let's go find Snow and give her the news."

"Of course darling." 

Now briskly walked toward the training room, they responded to a few icy greetings and entered the simulation portion of the room. They could see the shadowy figure of someone in the corner, wiping her face with a towel. Smiling, Sight put a finger to her lips, effectively silencing those around them. Sneaking behind the figure, she screamed, "HEEELLLLOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

There was a startled hiss before the one named Snow slung around, her towel arcing in the nasty form of a whip. Sight flipped backwards, her grin almost feral. Without a second thought, as soon as her feet touched the ground, she launched herself at Snow, her arm now revealing the flash of a knife. Snow danced well out of the reach of that deadly weapon and she herself smirked. Taking out her own weapon, she leapt forward. 

Within the room, a loud plink echoed. 

When the dust cleared, figuratively, they found the two breathing hard, in a position that constituted the mini-duel to a draw. Snow had her gun to Sight's temple and Sight had her knife against Snow's jugular. Any rash movements would have resulted in instant death for either. 

"Draw?"

"Draw."

They moved backwards slowly and the rest of the room resumed their own activities. Snow tossed her white-blonde hair back to reveal startling green eyes, looking out of place within the delicate, almost fragile-looking face. They were cold, expressionless, lacking any hints of warmth. However, there was a bit of mirth contained in the emerald-green depths, as she sheathed her gun. 

And as she was doing that, Shade cocked her head and looked at her friend thoughtfully.

There was something about those eyes and hair that suddenly seemed to make sense. 

"Hm."

"What?" 

"Oh, nothing Snow. Something on the tip of my mind… probably just remnants of the mission." Shade ran over the memories of what had happened at the castle. A nagging thread was caught on her mind, but she couldn't form a definite picture of it, nor could she shake it off. 

Odd.

"What's the particular reason you so abruptly called me from training?"

"Guess."

"You're going to jump into the nearest shuttle and fly into the sun." Was the dry reply.

Shade burst into laughter as Sight huffed. Snow may have been cold-hearted bitch at times, but her humor would have beat anyone. 

"Sorry to disappoint you darling, but no. It's something MUCH funner."

"Funner? That's not a word." Shade cut in, her own eyes sparkling with mirth.

Sight rolled her eyes. "Gimme a break. It's not as if we're in grammer school anymore, ladies. Lighten up. Snow, c'mon. What do you want more than anything in the world?"

Snow stopped, her form freezing. "You're kidding." The quiet amusement that had been present before now accounted to this flat voice. She turned slowly to stare right at Sight. The icy stillness was an odd antithesis to Sight's own malicious grin. 

"I kid you not."

"Shade?"

"It's right. We three are going out for a long lunch."

Snow brought her hand up to her face, the closest expression of outright joy to ever shadow her features now distinctively present. She grinned a feral grin, her eyes snapping in the knowledge. The three of them walked toward the hanger together, all eager to see their new gundams. 

~*~*~*~*~

The three towered above the normal height where usual mobile suits would have been. Their fresh coats of metallic pain gleamed in the dim light. The names, in curlicue script, were stamped across the side of one foot, ostentatiously stating their beauty. Sight was the first to move forward, her face shining in barely concealed glee. Shade and Snow held back, wanting to savor the moment, glorying in the knowledge that they were about to commandeer a machine that no one else had since… well, since the AC 196 war. 

More than a few jealous glances were cast their way. No one else could begrudge the three, since everyone KNEW they were the best, but as usual to petty human emotions, envy flared.

But for two, it brought hunger.

~*~ Part Eleven ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~


	12. So We Meet Again

Title:  "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All the characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction. They are not related to the original plot. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.

Part Twelve: So We Meet Again

The first decisive battle. The two new pilots meet a person from the past, a man who knows all and is called a clown by his friends, and "The Silencer" by his enemies.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was time. 

The two generals had already determined that they three of them were to attack an off-site colony in order to draw a bit of attention; not a whole lot, but enough so that the Preventers would be sure to notice. Shade agreed to the point of attack and filled Sight and Snow in. The two perused the map and plan, gave their thumbs-up (or in Snow's case, a slight nod) and they prepped to go off.

Reveling in the comfort of the machine, Shade strapped herself in and settling in with the various sounds of the suit warming up, she said, "Engage."

The pit flared to life. 

Wires appeared from nowhere and slithered like serpents over her flesh. A visor untangled itself from the mechanical mayhem and warped her world through the eyes of a gundam. Patiently waiting for the sensation to assimilate itself into her brain, she allowed the wires to lock her lithe body into place. 

"Retrieve."

The Gundam shuddered as it's massive frame rose from the floor, it's once dead eyes flaring to life with artificial intelligence. Shade spoke through the vidcom, allowing her voice to grow cold. "Ready?"

"Ready."

"More than ready to kick some ass!"

Shade hid her smile and as the three Gundams launched themselves quietly, nearly silent, toward the outer colony.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Take that, you bastards!" Sight crowed in delight. 

"Slow down. We don't want to overwork the Gundams on the first fight." Shade admonished

"Too late! This is one hell of a machine!"

"Speaking so much isn't great for your air supply."

"Look who's talking, Ms. Lets-all-sigh-together."

Snow stiffened audibly.

"Shut up."

"Stop fighting, both of you."

Automatically, they responded at the same time, "Aye aye Captain." Snow usually relaxed a margin when she was around Shade or Sight.

Shade shook her head, before realizing they couldn't see her. 

So far, the mobile suits of the off-site colony could not even come close to matching their skills. They had carefully done what Shadow had ordered. They rescued each pilot and put them onto the plane they had set nearby. No lives were to be lost yet, under orders.

After all, they were waiting for someone.

"How long do we gotta wait?"

"Not too long. The news has already been sent to L4 that there are Gundams nearby."

"Snow, how accurate is that?"

"Pretty. It was one of their supposedly secure lines."      

"Ah."

"Secure for them or us?" 

Shade turned on the comm, and glared disapprovingly at Sight. "Don't get to cocky on the first fight. These were flies compared to the skills of the Gundam Pilots."

"Ah, their all fogies anyways."

"They're the same age as us all. Do not get cocky."

"That old..."

Snow tried to muffle her laughter. Shade's age was a tender subject to pounce upon. 

"Sight..." Shade said warningly. 

"Yeah, yeah. I hear ya. Stop your yakking."

A beep interrupted Snow from her laughter. Scanning the radar, she saw the object they had been waiting for. A mobile suit from the L4 colony.

"Incoming."

Shade immediately turned her own radar on.

"Which one is it?" Sight's curious voice cut in on the sudden quiet.

"The pilot inside is Barton."

"Who's going to get him?"

They eyed each other through the screens. Shade was the first to respond. "One of you two can take it."

Snow and Sight stared at each other.

A sudden smile broke Snow's scowling face. "If you do my laundry for a week, you can take it."

"Agreed!"

Gundam Freude took the battle stance as the other two faded respectably back. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"How's it looking Master Trowa?"

"So far nothing. No Gundams that were reported to be seen."

Trowa scanned the night sky, half-expecting to see rubble dotting the night-sky. People were still edgy about the Gundams, and any mass of unidentified material would lead to the conclusion that a Gundam was attacking the colony. It was a pain in the butt, but he could understand their fear. 

Sight sneered from the background covering of darkness. She knew that for now, Freude couldn't be seen, but she exercised an extraordinary amount of patience and wariness in order to prevent the first battle from becoming a shod. She may have been cocky, but not cocky enough to take on a Gundam pilot who had been regaled as one of the best. Smirking, she closed her eyes and visualized her target within her eye-mind. She remembered the beautiful arms, legs, head of the mobile suit. She saw the glass eyes, revealing nothing of the mastermind within.

And she heard the pilot murmuring softly.

_Yes._

With a deafening battle cry, she launched herself forward at the suit. Trowa turned half-way around, hearing the scream. He barely brought his shield up fast enough to prevent her from slashing through his armor. Quickly dancing around the blade, he faced with the gundam for the first time. 

And he stared. 

The model was almost exactly like that of Duo's… but with touches of Heero's too. Which was strange, considering how vastly different Deathscythe and Wing were at times. He could vaguely ascertain that the pilot was a woman… but other than that, he was clueless. The systems within the new Gundam was far different from the old ones.

A sudden chuckle broke through the intercom.

"Surprised, are we? Thought the Gundam technology was lost in the AC 196 war, hm? Assumed that the world was at peace right?" Sight couldn't resist the mocking words as she lashed out continuously at the mobile suit. No matter Trowa was one of the best pilots; the suit couldn't measure up to the performance of a highly tuned and newly created Gundam. 

Within an inch of taking his life, she stopped her saber.

They stood there, locked in a frozen snapshot of time. 

With bated breath, realizing for the first time, he was sweating with fear. Not just battle fear, but a different fear. 

Her voice was familiar. 

Too familiar.

"Show your face. Only a coward fights the enemy with no identity." 

There was a pause, an astonished silence. Then the laughter broke out. The eerie laughter that brooked no argument in the idea that perhaps Trowa had finally met a match to be reckoned with. Without any break in giggles, Sight sneered, "You wish to see me? What difference does it make? You're still going to lose."

"I would rather lose to someone I see and know, then to a ghost."

This time, the silence stretched ominously.

"A ghost? Good one, Trowa Barton. I can see why people called you the Silencer." There was a pause. "Very well. The general didn't say I couldn't show you what I look like… but don't bother running a search through the national data bank… because effectively, within the confines of Earth and Space… I don't exist… so perhaps you're right. "

She switched the screen on, her face wicked with humor.

"I am a ghost."

Trowa got the split-second look he needed to meld her features within his mind. Without warning, her face was cut off, with an indignant shriek tearing from her.

"Shade! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"Saving your ass. Finish him. We need to get back."

Sight sighed and raised her sabre. Murmuring a short prayer, she effectively rendered the suit into enough pieces so that repair would be impossible.  But at the same time, she managed to do it without hitting any of the main circuits, preventing it from blowing up and killing himself and possibly harming others. 

The last view he had of them was the three flying off, and the carefree, mocking voice of the pilot he had just battled with. 

"Adieu until next time, ma petit chere."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"What in the hell were you thinking?" Shade's voice was low, laced with anger. 

Snow leaned against her suit, quietly waiting for the explosion. Her green eyes were indifferent to the fact that Sight had nearly blown their cover.

"I was having a little fun. You know me. I couldn't resist a little jibe."

"First of all, Sight, in this battle, I don't care how TEMPTED you are. You will follow orders as commandeered. Even if you don't like them. There's too much at risk here."

Sight narrowed her eyes at Shade. If there was one thing she hated, it was to take orders without any reason. Especially orders she hated. "And if I don't?"

Shade pulled her gun out and cocked it at the other pilot. "Then I'll be forced to render you useless for battle."

A face-off seemed inevitable before Snow cut in quickly. Her cold eyes silenced both of them enough so that they listened to her words. "If you fight now, then we've already lost." Her curt words lashed into both. Shade snarled and stalked through the corridor to her room, muttering oaths. 

Sight leaned back against the Gundam with a loud whoosh of exhaled breath. "Thanks for the save. I thought I was a goner for sure."

"You'd best apologize to Shade. You were in the fault."

"Aw man, I know! But damn it, that guy was HOT!"

Snow's lips twitched as if she was trying to hold back a smile. "Of course only you would notice."

"Hey! I resent that!"

The bantering continued, but the apology lingered in Sight's mind. She knew that before the next battle, she needed to talk to Shade and clear things up with her. Or as Snow said, things would get more than a little complicated. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

The opponent smirked, trying his hardest to rip her off her feet. Shade, never taking her eyes off him, cocked her gun. With a quick flash, they both released their bullets. The only difference was that Shade had managed to do that in the split second she leaped to the side also. Resulting in the destruction of the computer image and her safety.

Exhaling, she called out, "End simulation."

Grabbing the slightly damp towel from the chair she briskly dried off the sweat when she heard, "Angry?"

Her cerulean eyes turned coldly toward the voice. Sight was leaning against the doorframe, her deep blue eyes expressionless. A cold wind seemed to brush against both their faces as they gazed at each other. Sight tossed a drink bottle toward Shade and the leader caught it, still no other appearance gracing her eyes. She popped the can open and took a long gulp. 

"Feel better?"

"You should know how I feel."

Sight huffed impatiently and hopped forward. "Are you insane? It's not a big deal."

"Are YOU insane? This is the biggest chance we'll ever get."

"I know that. But it doesn't mean that we have to forget that they enemy we're battling are humans too."

"I did not forget that!"

Sight exploded. "You could have fooled me! Shade, you fucking idiot! Have you completely forgotten that these are the Gundam Pilots we're fighting? They're not about to just go away with one battle. You're dreams about a single-battle war is a complete sham!"

Shade gave an angry hiss. She lashed back out, "I don't care if that's a dream! I want this all to end quickly! I hate the idea that we're killing the very people we're trying to return a war too!" The young woman stopped, her face hardening. Refusing to look at Sight, she grabbed her bag and was about to leave when Sight's soft voice found itself chasing after her. 

"Shade. I know. But face the truth. We're going to kill many people. Including soldiers. In this way, we won't feel that we're just taking their lives."

The pilot paused in the door, her back rigid. The sand-colored hair that had been curled into a tight bun only hours before, were now trailing around her neck, a tangled mess. She turned slightly toward Sight, the mocking tone not undetected. "This is a glorious moment for all of us. It's the moment I've been waiting for nearly all my life. As I know it was for you and Snow. And yet, you know what?" She paused, her voice coloring with derision, "I'm not all that happy."

Shade shut the door with a bang, leaving a silent Sight, her own feelings forbidding her from speaking. Sight assessed the wall with a critical eye. Feeling that the granite was durable enough, she brought her fist back and slammed it hard against the stone. There was enough force to crack the area and to leave her knuckles bleeding. Sight gave a satisfied snort.

Pain was such an easy way to deal with anger.

~*~  Part 12  ~*~

~*~   FINIS  ~*~


	13. Milk Does A Body Good

Title: "Scars"

Author: Demeter

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. The author claims no legal responsibility for problems associated with using this work. The story, the relationships, and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.

Part Thirteen: Milk Does A Body Good

Finally, the meeting between Trowa and the Trio has happened. Next along, they're sent on missions that they may never return from. The perils of trying to hunt Lady Une and Quatre Raberba Winner… 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sight ran a dirty hand through her ragged hair, releasing a sigh that seemed to come up from the very pits of her stomach. She was laboriously reviewing all the videos of their fight with the outer L3 colony. There was something that nagged her about that annoyingly stoic pilot. 

Trowa Barton.

Something which pulled at the edges of her psyche. Her instincts knew. There was something particular about that boy. Something special.

She just had no clue what it was. And Sight was very frustrated. It was rare, even impossible that she had no idea what her instincts were telling her. Every nuance of that body just screamed, "Look at me!". Which meant that either he was someone acquainted with their past, or he had appeared somewhere else in their memories. 

Looking through more files, her eyes narrowed. Odd, she felt. Little to no information was found on their computers about the Gundam pilots. It was almost as if they had completely disappeared from mind's eye. Leaning back in her rusty chair, she contemplated the computer in front of her. 

Something smelled fishy.

There was almost a stink of someone messing behind their back. Obviously, the pilots were more famous than this… hell, even Treize was mentioned more than any of the pilots. And she knew how ostracized he was within the average public reporter. He was almost forbidden material… and the pilot's, the savior's of the world, were hardly mentioned at all…

Curious.

There was some data missing here and there… but their computers were unsurpassed by… well, they were unbeatable to say the least. If anything, she had to have found something, anything.

But nothing.

And it bothered her intensely for some odd reason.

By nature, Sight was an inquisitive woman; she hated leaving stones unturned in the possible light of an excavation. Within the DREAMERS, her skills with the computer were pretty much at the top of the brass with Shade, Snow, Silk and Shadow. Even if she hadn't really seen Shadow at work…

Which made everything all that more mystifying. If there was information missing, clues deleted, files hacked into, surely Silk or Shadow would have noticed. They would have alerted the rest of the group and had a mass search for the perpetrator. They were not likely to have just let it all go.

Sight pursed her cracking lips and took a swig of beer. The burning alcohol hit her system like an elephant and she dived back into cracking the codes for the Preventer Base as securely and gently as she could. They weren't an elite team for nothing after all.

Lost in her mystifying thoughts, she didn't notice the door open slightly and then close with barely a whisper of air. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Silk looked around the hall, her striking eyes turning icy. She shut the door behind her softly, disturbed by what she had just witnessed. 

Apparently, one of the little wild cards were getting a head start in finding out the truth. She was slightly surprised it was Sight; she and Shadow had a bet that it would be Shade to start questioning the roles of DREAMERS. But, it wasn't a complete disappointment. Sight was just as good of any candidate. After all, she was the daughter of those two vile…

Mustn't think about it, she scolded herself.

Without turning around, she stared thoughtfully at the room where Sight was busily working her magic for a few more minutes. Coming to a decision, Silk jogged briskly toward Shadow's quarters. 

Time for the pace to speed up.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Snow was doing a similar search in her room. She had gotten a little glimpse of the pilot… and that one image had seared itself within her memory banks. As much as she hated to admit it, he had affected her in a way she couldn't quite understand. Of course, she knew that she didn't have the same reason as Sight for searching information on him. Quite the opposite… he was someone that intrigued her in a sense entirely different from lust or love.

She remembered the inaudible gasp of pain that had accompanied his image. 

That pilot.

She knew him.

Snow was nearly shaking with anger. It wasn't just KNOWING. There was something, a button, a switch within her, which if she pushed or tugged, she knew, she just KNEW, the truth about her would be revealed. She had always asked herself, who she was. All she got were uneasy self-assurances and empty ideas. 

But that wasn't enough.

All she knew from her life was DREAMERS. There had been nothing, nothing else she could remember. Other than hazy images of… as silly as it sounded, water. Of all she could remember was water. She had some idea, gathered from Silk that she hadn't exactly been born. The General had candidly informed her that her parents were long dead and that she shouldn't think about it anymore.

And mostly, she didn't even bother to try. After all, her goal was to work in DREAMERS. To succeed as a pilot. To start a war that would end all wars. That was the price she had agreed to pay in order for the peace that the Generals dreamed of. No matter what happened, she had always figured that the General's war was the most important. 

Then why.

Why in the hell was she so attracted to that blasted pilot?

Snow gave an ineffective snarl and threw her paper weight against the cushioned walls, waiting for that interminable crack that would most likely appear with such a gesture. Hearing the satisfying crunch of concrete, metal, and soldered glass, she went back to her search, intent on finding… well, finding the past of that green-eyed, uni-banged man that had bothered her so immensely. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Silk entered Shadow's room with a graceful ease, handing the General a brief smile before tossing a stack of papers onto the desk. "One of them has started to question."

There was an interminable pause and Shadow then fingered the pile before clearing her throat. "Who?"

"Sight."

"Ah."

"So, what are we to do?"

"What else? Quicken what we have planned."

Silk nodded slowly. It was as she expected. However… "Are you sure? Is there ample time to set the motions in order?"

The rustle of papers indicated Shadow was listening. Silk pushed on. "I venture that they only have the parts and none of the pieces."

Shadow leaned forward onto her desk, her hands tented below her chin. Her eyes were thoughtful and grave, hinting at the trouble that was to come. "I do not think that the truth will hide itself much longer. Those three are the key to this entire operation. As long as we keep secrets, there will always be the slim chance that we will fail." She paused, her eyes darkening to black. "And. We. Cannot. Fail," she whispered, enunciating every word. 

Silk regarded her with a considering gaze. "Of course we can't fail. However, to complete what we're setting out to do, it's time to have Shade meet more than one or two of the pilots. It's time she met them all."

With a nod, the silver-haired woman stood and saluted. Walking from the room, she could almost taste the anticipation of what would happen. Finally, Shadow's revenge would come to root, her ideal would prevail, and she wouldn't have to watch her niece forego the rightful place in the hierarchy she deserve. After all, Marimeia was Treize Khushrenada's daughter. The only heir. The only rightful Queen who should rule.

And Silk planned to let her take that spot.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Shade?"

The aforementioned woman looked up from her report and saw Silk standing in the doorway, her slender frame relaxed. There was a tiny smile on her face and she held a disk in her hand. With a flourish, she handed the order to Shade and waited for the younger pilot to review the case. With a quick glance at Silk, Shade inserted the disk and scanned the information that appeared on her screen. 

She hesitated. "Are you sure General Shadow wants this? It seems rather hasty to me."

"Don't worry. Shadow knows exactly what she's doing. And she wants it done. Now." Silk gave her protégé a beatific smile. "Unless you're not up to it?"

Shade bristled. "Of course I am! It's just that we just attacked the colony, and now Shadow wants me," she paused as she cast another glance at the brightly lit screen again, "and Snow to infiltrate the Preventer building and seek Lady Une? Silk, that's the person in charge of the Preventers. That's not going to be easy. Not at all."

The silver-haired women only grinned a feral grin. "Even more of a reason, pet." 

Shade examined the older woman. There were alarms going off on all her senses, but she didn't have a clue why… With a brusque nod, she accepted the mission for her and Snow. Snow would do anything she asked her to do. 

"Perfect! Now all that's left is for me to give Sight her own mission. She has a rather special one also. If not as busy as yours. It'll be the most perfect coup d'etat that the world has ever seen!"

"You sound almost as if you're having an orgasm over it." 

Silk's black eyes glittered. "Perhaps I am."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"General? You asked to see me?" Sight walked respectfully into the darkened room and Shadow indicated for her to sit. Sight sat herself into the high-backed chair and awaited for whatever news or mission Shadow would send her on. It was rare that the General ordered someone into her private quarters. 

"Sight. Welcome. I can see that you have successfully accomplished what Shade, Snow, and you were set out to do. Well done."

"It was my duty, General."

"Was it? Excellent response. However, I have a personal mission for you to bring about, without Shade or Snow."

Sight barely managed to conceal her surprise. Everyone knew that the three worked best together, even if they fought a lot. To send her on a private mission meant that it wasn't the average, hey-joe ones that they usually took on. "And that is?"

"I want you to render Quatre Raberba Winner incapable of joining the battle."

"What?"

Shadow allowed a humorless grin. "He, of all the pilots, is the strategic one. He is also who I consider the closest to the heart of the group. With him gone, the others cannot operate at full capacity."

Sight felt a bit reluctant. This was rather low of the DREAMERS, wasn't it? To attack the enemy before fully declaring war? "Excuse my ignorance, General. But is it not honorable to attack him before they even know we are the enemy?"

"No, it is not honorable. However, for what I consider, for what the DREAMERS consider is the greater good, he must be taken out."

"I agree with that. But Winner is a well-protected politician. He has another pilot, Barton, by him always. Would it be… near impossible to harm him?"

"I have considered that. Which is why I have sent Shade and Snow on a different mission."

"And that would be?"

"To take prisoner Lady Une."

"The leader of the Preventers!"

"Yes. With her gone, undoubtedly, Barton would be distracted by those events. I want you to strike as soon as you hear the word of her abduction."

Sight stared at her superior, her mind running on high-speed. Weighing the different pros and cons, she nodded slightly to show that she accepted the mission. Standing up fluidly, they exchanged no more words as Shadow passed her the disk that would contain all the information she would need. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Shade gave a low whistle. "Is that what the General really wants?"

Sight nodded, her blue eyes troubled. "It's not going be to effortless. And mentioning easy, taking Lady Une, the legendary Duchess, won't be trouble-free either. What a coup! How am I going to render him useless? I mean, what do I do? Poison him? Snap his neck? Break a few bones?" She shuddered at the last thought. "Strike that."

Snow was lifting weights in the corner and she spoke without looking up. "It's orders. No need to question them. I'm sure General Shadow and Silk know what they're doing."

There was an echoing nod from Shade, but she was obviously troubled. "It's not the mission that bothers me. There's something else… never mind. It's probably nothing." With a sigh, she talked to the two for several more minutes before leaving and prepping for the hardcore mission left on the shelves. Snow continued to lift her weights, her mind on the mission ahead.

It wouldn't be everyday that they had to attack the person who had created the very idea of anti-terrorism. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

In the heart of the Peacecraft mansion, a group of people, all connected by the AC 195 war, were sitting around a table, heatedly discussing the events of the past week. There was Milliardo Peacecraft, the current King of the Sank Kingdom. Lucrezia Noin, his wife, therefore, Queen of the Sank Kingdom. Quatre Raberba Winner, the owner of the Winner Corporation and diplomat from the L4 colony. Trowa Barton, his consul and consort, an ambassador from the L4 colony. 

Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei, and Sally Po, the Preventers. Lady Une, leader of the Preventers. Dorothy Catalonia, the ambassador, diplomat and soldier advocate. Only Hilde and Marimeia held no official position in the room; they were there because of the very root of the rumor they had heard from Quatre. 

Relena Peacecraft apparently, was alive.

"Which, for all reasons, has to be impossible." Lady Une was short and to the point. "She has been missing for seven years, which no trace, no rumor, no clue was indicating that she had survived the abduction."

"And yet, no body was ever found." Dorothy was quick to point out. The hope in that gesture was heart-rendingly honest. She wanted Relena to be alive with every fiber of her being. "No body, which means no death was officially recorded."

There was a flash of annoyance in Lady Une's face. "And that matters how? There were hundreds of soldiers who don't have bodies and they're still listed dead." Her short words indicated in more than one way, that she was thinking of Treize.

 Once again, Quatre acted as the peacekeeper, silencing both women with a quelling glance. He turned to Zechs and Noin, the two who would be most effected by the rumor. Surprisingly, they hadn't developed any sort of reaction beyond shock so far. He could relate. 

All he wanted to do was drown himself in the nearest vat of water.

Having this sort of rumor swirl in, when the world was already messy enough, it seemed like fate was trying its damndest to harm them where it would hurt the worst. And from his point of view, it really couldn't get any worse than this.

And then there was Heero and Duo. The pair was quietly involved in conversation, apparently at a point of disagreement. There was a poignant pause as the rage on Heero's face had gone from annoyance to boiling. Without another word, he stood and stalked from the room, leaving Duo white-faced and the others gaping. 

Hilde held her head in her hands, as if the very scene pained her. "For god's sake. Can the two of you not talk about Relena once, just once, and not get into a FUCKING ARGUMENT?" The last words were nearly shrieked and she was about to rant more when Trowa touched her on the shoulder and shook her head at her, his green eyes flickering to the grief-stricken expression on Duo's face. 

Her anger temporarily stoppered (Trowa had a tendency to do that to people), she swiftly turned back to the quiet Quatre and demanded, her voice hard, "So? Are we going to do anything or just sit on our arses and watch the only lead we've had in years sweep us by?"

Zechs jerked his head up and for the first time, something akin to panic dotted his pale face. "Of course! We're going to throw all our resources into this! I don't care how much time or money we spend!"

Lady Une held up a hand, her face set in stone. "No, Zechs. We don't want any of the media finding out what happened. Not only would this fragile hold on peace we have be shattered… I won't even try to imagine the panic. Somebody who should have died seven years ago, to suddenly have her appear again, that would agitate all the diplomats."

Wufei nodded in agreement, adding his own comments. "And besides, none of us are sure whether that was Relena or not. Quatre might have been mistaken." He jerked his head toward the fourth pilot and Quatre bristled slightly.

"Wufei, I might have left the battlefield, but I still remember faces! Especially hers." His voice quieted. "How could I forget *hers*. It would be like forgetting one of you… or myself." He shuddered and wrapped his arms around his torso. It had been a long week and so far, it didn't seem like it would get any easier.

Glaring, Sally nodded in agreement. "I believe that also. Quatre's not old enough to become senile," She ignored the snort that provoked and continued, "And if he saw Relena, then I think she, or at least someone who looks like her, is out there." 

"Granted that we can even find her." Duo finally spoke. His usually jovial voice had darkened considerably and he refused to look at any of them in the eye. There was a cloud of pain that seemed to wrap it's misty arms around the braided pilot and refused to relinquish its death hold.

Finally, a silence.

Dorothy stood and then commanded their attention by tossing a packet of papers onto the table. "An…. An information source of mine I contacted yesterday gave me this. He thinks it might help our search. Someone… a new rebel group he believes that was partially active during the time Relena disappeared. Also, he has definite info that the woman who took Relena may belong to that group. They go by the name DREAMERS…"

~*~ Part Thirteen ~*~

~*~ FINIS ~*~

I know it's been a long time between this chapter and the last chapter, but I got caught up in doing things. My summer was an awful one with my grandfather being diagnosed with sarcoma and then spending almost the entire time in the hospital. Then I started college and I was stressed about different things related to that. And part thirteen just didn't come out until now. I promise however, that fourteen and fifteen should be out at the same time and that there will be finally action!

A/N Notes: Yes, I'm still writing this fic. I reedited all the chapters and did some reformatting. This was done February 25, 2002. Hopefully, this will make it slightly more readable. Thanks for those who are still supporting me about this fic; I will finish it, come high or hell!

Demeter


End file.
